Time: A KanameSesshoumaru Fanfic
by Kara Shaw
Summary: Kaname/Michiru Kururugi from Inuyasha:SCM are twins living in the time of Inu Taisho. Kaname/Sesshoumaru pairing. First chapter is necessary for later plot twists! What will happen when Kaname is summoned to the castle of the West by InuTaisho himelf?
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer: None of the characters here are mine, but the ones I create. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi. :3_

~*~*~O~*~*~

_**Prologue…**_

_**The Legend:**__ Years ago, there once was a time when the lands were ruled by deities, demons, and other spirits and Gods. In this time, humans were nothing more than a minority. It was during this time that that Taiyokais of the land were granted rule of the four regions of Japan. These lords included: Verius of the South, Ryuumaru of the East, Yukimaru of the North, and Touga of the West. These Lords were chosen by the Gods for their strength, cunning, and their unwavering will to protect. In order to keep the balance and the safety and justice of the lands, the Lords all had to have those traits…_

_And have the ability to rule with a kind heart…_

"Momma! You've already told us that story! Don't you have any new ones..?"

The Young woman looked at her son and daughter. She smiled when she saw the bored look of her son and the pout on her daughter's face. Removing her hands from her yukata sleeves, the young woman knelt by her children and placed a hand under both of their chins, "You must understand, dear ones. I have yet to leave this small village, and therefore, I can only tell you the one legend known to all…I'm sorry I don't know more…"

The two young children gasped, worried they'd made their mother sad…And that would always make them sad, so they ran into their mother's arms and hugged her, nearly crushing her in the process. Simultaneously, they looked up at her face and said desperately, "We're sorry momma! We like that story, honest! Please don't cry!"

Startled, their mother rested her head between theirs and whispered, "No, I apologize, dear ones. I shouldn't have scared you like that…And as a mother, I really should learn some more stories…"

Just then, footsteps were heard outside of the small hut, as well as the sound of a horse whinnying. A few men were also having what seemed to be a very tense conversation…

"Forgive me for intruding, m'lord, but you can't take this woman. She has two young children, and their father…" one of the village men said wearily.

The outsider scoffed, "I could care less about a couple of brats. This woman has a debt to pay, and she shall!"

A bit upset at his words, another of the villager men said tensely, "But, m'lord…!"

The outsider must have been tired of the villager's antics, because he yelled in irritation, "Enough! Unless YOU have a death wish, you WILL return to your field, and do the one thing you're useful for! Now, begone!"

There was a slight sigh from the men before their footsteps were heard, heading away from the hut…

From inside the hut, the twins grasped onto their mother tightly, for fear that if they didn't, she would slip through their fingers…And then they felt a warmth surround them as their mother cuddled them to her person; and they saw a lone tear mark a path down her cheek as she drew closer. She whispered softly into their ears, "Dear ones, I wish we had more time, but I'm afraid that my time has run out…Please, forgive me for this…and know that I will always love you…" With that, she placed a gentle kiss on the crowns of their heads, before standing up as she pushed them behind her protectively.

The strange man walked in then and looked directly at their mother with a piercing and unwavering gaze, "I'm here to collect Toya Kururugi. I assume that is you..?" Stepping forward and away from the two quivering bodies behind her, Toya replied, "Yes, I am Toya."

A dark smirk appeared on the man's face, "Well then, you know what I am here for, correct..?"

Closing her eyes, she inclined her head at the man, ". . .Yes, I do. . ."

The man swept aside the fragile straw door, "Then let's go, shall we..? My Lord has been waiting long enough, I should think."

Without another word or glance, Toya walked out of her home for what would be the last time…but that didn't stop her from hearing her daughter's sobbing and her son hushing her, attempting to comfort both his twin and himself…She could only let her heart clench at their sorrow and confusion…and the thought that she would NEVER see them again….

~*~*~O~*~*~

Hey there, this is Kara. This will be my first fanfic, which will turn out to be a Kaname/Sesshoumaru one. But unlike everyone else, I'll be taking a much different approach.

I thought, hey, why not make a story with Kaname being born way back when Inu Taisho was still around, and have the 'canon' pair meet under different circumstances? I thought It'd be fun and I always like my unique things…^w^

Anyway, you all know the routine. R & R, and you'll make me a happy child. :3


	2. Chapter I

_Disclaimer: None of the characters here are mine, but the ones I create. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi. :3_

~*~*~O~*~*~

"C'mon, Kaname! It's time to eat!"

Hearing her brother's words, Kaname yelled back, "Alright, I'll be right there!" Getting up, she brushed the dirt from her rust-colored kimono, prayed once more to the Guardian of the forest's shrine, and then started to run back to the village.

"Not so fast, human…"

Kaname froze. Her eyes widened a little in fear as she glanced around, looking for the owner of such a menacing voice, "W-who's there, and…what d-do you w-want..?" No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop herself from shaking and stuttering.

The winds picked up ominously as the nearest group of trees began to rattle…And then the largest and most foul creature Kaname had ever seen stepped out into the clearing. It may have been a mountain Inu once, but not any longer. What was left of its fur was matted and oily, and there were bald spots all over its body. On some parts, muscles and veins were clearly visible, while its left front leg, half of its tail, and the majority of its middle were only bone. The last feature she noticed was its head. It had only one eye, while its left was only a boney, empty socket. Parts of its skull could be seen -- but more profoundly around its jaw -- and a part of its right ear had been torn off.

Only until it coughed out a hoarse laugh did Kaname realize how much danger she was in. _'I can't run fast enough to escape him, and I certainly_ cannot _beat him…Oh, Michiru, I hope that when – or_ if _– you get here, you're not alone…'_ "D-don't make me repeat myself, y-you..."

When the demon spoke, it was in a low, scratchy voice, "And why should I ever tell a meal such as yourself who I am? Oh, I guess I just gave away what I want…"

A shiver of fear ran down Kaname's spine, "L-look, I didn't do anything t-to you, so j-just…leave me be…"

Before she could even finish her sentence, the demon launched itself at her, and she screamed…

~*~*~O~*~*~

'_Heh, what an easy morsel…And with no Lord around, this deems to mean a free-for-all..!' _The demon launched itself at the girl, and laughed darkly when it heard her scream in vain…

But as he was almost upon her, a crimson, flaming aura erupted from the now-unconscious girl, sending him flying back into the pile of trees behind him. He recovers slowly as he uses his youki to put the ether-real flames still on him, out. "What was that just now…? I've never seen a human do THAT before…Hm..?"

Just then, a figure stepped ouot from the other side of the clearing. Before the demon could react, the figure cut him down with a golden whip of energy and poison. "Hm…I didn't think this creature would be on the move so quickly.." the figure said in a somewhat distasteful tone. Turning around, he knelt down beside the young woman. _'…These…flames are still burning. I wonder who – or what – this girl is… It would be a wise idea to keep an eye on her from now on…Perhaps I'll send my son her. After all, he looks around the same age as her, so if she finds him, maybe she won't be as afraid…' _He noticed then that the flames had finally died off, and that the girl was showing the first signs of stirring. Believing it to be safe, the man removed a small, silver hairpin – in the shape of a crescent moon – and placed it in her hair._ 'There. That should make it easier for him to track her later…'_

Looking down at Kaname's face, his golden orbs softened considerably. "I apologize for not only what you have been put through, but for forcing this item on you. I only hope that you'll find the ability to forgive me someday…And I hope that my son before the other demons do…" With that, the man softly patted her head beore disappearing back into the darkness of the surrounding woods…

~*~*~O~*~*~

Well, there's chapter 2 for ya. And yay, Inu Taisho finally makes his appearance~! :D

So, just a little not for ya, Sesshoumaru probably won't make his appearance til the end of the next chapter or the one after that. But there will be a few new characters being introduced throughout this entire story…You'll just have to wait and see though~! ^.~

Anyway, you all know the routine. R & R, and you'll make me a happy child. :3


	3. Chapter II

_Disclaimer: None of the characters here are mine, but the ones I create. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi. :3_

~*~*~O~*~*~

"….Huh..?" It was late morning when Kaname finally woke, and when she did, she didn't expect to be where she was. Suddenly, the events of the previous night flooded back to her, and she bolted upright, her hand clutching at her fastly-pounding heart. _'I'm alive?! But…How?!'_

"Glad to see you're up."

Looking up, Kaname calmed slightlyat the sight of her older brother. "Michiru…"

Michiru got up from his resting placwe against the wall as he made his way over. Sitting down beside Kaname, he looked at her sternly, "Kaname, do yo remember anything from last night?"

Said girl simply looked down at her lap, recalling the details of the past night's events. The last thing she remembered was the youkai Mountain Inu lunging at her. _'No…there was something after that…I think I only dreamt it, but I clearly remember hearing a man's voice, saying something about his son and an item…'_ Gasping, Kaname reached for the strange weight on the right side of her head, feeling a cool, new surface in her hair.

"So now do you remember? Who gave that to you, and who slaughtered that youkai?" Michiru said with a slight glare.

'_What..?' _Getting up, she made her way to the small desk in the corner, where she pulled out a small, silk sloth, and withdrew a mirror from it. Kaname nearly cried out in surprise at what she saw. In her hair, there was a small, crescent shaped hairpin that looked to be made of silver, and a piece of shell she'd never seen before.

"Kaname..?"

Shaking slightly, Kaname turned to her brother, after putting her mirror back. "Michiru…Why has the Daiyokai, Lord Touga, placed his land's symbol in my hair..?"

Michiru made his way to his sister and hugged her small body to his form, "So he marked you himself….But why, Kaname? What have you done?"

Pulling back from her brother's embrace, she looked up into his dull-violet orbs, "I-I…I don't know…That youkai was attacking me, and I lost consciousness, but after that…" She shakes her head, defeated. "I just don't know…"

Michiru leans back and lets out a long sigh, "Well, I guess there's not much we can do now…Touga-sama will probably be here sometime soon…Either that, or maybe he'll send his son after you instead…"

"You mean Sesshoumaru-sama…?" she ventured quietly.

"Who else?" Michiru asked tiredly. Getting up, he heads for the doorway. "You should eat some stew before you get more rest. Kami knows what happens when you have an empty stomach." He told her teasingly.

Kaname just glared at him, "Hmph…thanks. Don't you have something to do?"

He just smiled playfully, "Besides look out for my favorite little sister? Maybe…" With that, he left the small hut to leave Kaname to her thoughts.

~*~*~O~*~*~

After she'd had her fill, Kaname went back to her mirror to look at the mark of the Western Lord that now adorned her hair. She stroked it absent-mindedly, thinking over the few things she'd remembered hearing while she was unconscious…

_~*~Flashback~*~_

"_I apologize….hope…forgive me….my son….find….before….demons do…"_

_~*~End Flashback~*~_

"So Sesshoumaru-sama will be the one to come for me…But what DID I do to get Touga-sama's atte ntion? Was it because of that youkai..?" Just then a shiver ran up her spine at the thought of that youkai, and Kaname looked at the doorway.

'_Hm..I wonder if Sesshoumaru-sama is on his way here yet…I want to check, but I'm concerned about what Touga-sama had said…about other demons coming after me. If they're anything like the one from last night, then there's no way the villagers can protect themselves…Maybe it's best if I leave tonight, so that the demons will follow me away from here.'_

"But will Sesshoumaru-sama be able to find me..?" Shaking her head so as to clear such thoughts, Kaname got up and started to pack her few belongings and some supplies. "Of course he will. He IS an Inu Youkai, after all. And besides, if I start to head for the Western castle now, maybe he'll find me sooner…"

'_And maybe I'll get some answers about last night as well…'_

~*~*~O~*~*~

There's chapter II for you. No Sesshoumaru yet, but he'll be here eventually. ^w^

As for the speed of how much I update, that'll start to slowdown, since I did all these chapters a while ago. Just bear with me and I promise I'll be able to update as much as possible~! ^^

Anyway, you all know the routine. R & R, and you'll make me a happy child. :3


	4. Chapter III

_Disclaimer: None of the characters here are mine, but the ones I create. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi. :3_

~*~*~O~*~*~

Kaname left a note for her brother to find, so that he'd understand where and why she had decided to leave.

Now, even though she'd been on the road only a few hours, she'd already sensed some demons nearby, and they were most likely following her every move. She'd also run into some other travelers, but that was to be expected, since it was only an hour or so into the afternoon. Many were friendly enough, but there were a few rogues who seemed to be a little sketchy, so Kaname tried to stay as far from them as possible.

When night drew near, Kaname tried to find a safe place to stay for the night, but was failing to find even a small village. The later it got, the more stressed the young girl became, for she knew the demons who'd been following her all day would come out eventually, which was a confrontation Kaname preferred not to deal with.

Kami, how she wished that she had something to protect her. Even a stick would make her feel less vulnerable and queasy than she was now. But unfortunately for her, she had no weapons, no guards, no protection, and not even a decent roof to stay under for the night…and all of that lead to the first signs of panic that began show themselves in her mind…

'_Well, if I run, they'll know that I know about them, and they'll most likely attack me sooner rather than later…Oh, I hope Sesshoumaru-sama is somewhere nearby…-!'_ A thought then came to her – What if he hadn't even left to come for her yet..?

"Oh no…" she whispered shakily as that thought dawned on her. _'Why couldn't I have thought of this sooner?! I was relying so much in faith that I'd either find a village or run into him, but I never gave a single thought that he might not have even left yet..!'_

'_This is NOT good...!' _Just then she suddenly bumped into something, startling her so badly she nearly toppled right over. Looking around, she blinked, noticing she'd run right into an elderly monk, who – unlike she –_ had_ fallen over. Her eyes widened in shock, then worry as she bent over to help the monk up, "Oh my… I'm so sorry! I must have gotten so wrapped up in my thoughts I never noticed where I was going…Oh, are you alright, good monk..?"

The old man looked up at the fretting girl, and he laughed at her actions and expression with mirth. Waving her off, he stood up – quite agilely for an old man – and brushed off his kimono. Smiling, he said in a warm voice, "Worry not, child, no harm was done. Although, I don't think it wise for a young girl such as yourself to be wandering the countryside…and especially at such a _late hour." With that said, his smile became one of concern as he studied their surroundings._

'_So, he can sense the demons too…At least that means he's for real…' _Smiling sheepishly, she rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment, "Yes, well…there's something I think I need to do, so I'm on my way to…that place…Oh!" Realization hit her, and she blushed slightly at her own foolishness as she quickly bowed toward the monk, "Forgive me for my manners! My name is Kaname Kururugi, and it's an honor to meet you, good monk." She then heard his laughter, causing her to look up to see what was so funny…only to have him pat her head fatherly and straighten her body.

Inclining his head slightly, he continued to laugh softly at the girl before him, "It's good to meet you, Kururugi-chan. You may call me Muso, if you like." He like this girl. Though she was a bit of a clutz and seemed quite forgetful, he could tell that she had a kind soul…But some of the things she'd said, or in this case not said, concerned him. One such example was the fac that she felt she needed to go somewhere, but spoke as if she was unsure she should be going there quite yet…And there was something else that was currently bothering him.

The demonic aura emanating from her traveling pack.

"Kururugi-chan, I only ask this out of concern…what is it you are carrying with you that is releasing such an ominous demonic aura…?" He questioned wearily, his eyes focusing on the pack.

Blinking, it took Kaname a few moments before she sighed out her breath nervously, "Well…it's nothing too dangerous, it that's what you –"

But she was cut off as Muso grabbed and shoved her to the ground roughly, knocking the wind out of her. Gasping, she turned her bleary eyes to the old monk, her shallow-breath hitching at the sight.

Muso had created a barrier, which was now currently holding a hoarde of youkai at bay.

She watched helplessly as Muso took out a large quantity of sutras, chanted out a spell, and began to release the spiritually-charged slips of paper relentlessly, destroying a large number of the demons in all but a few seconds.

Kaname only came back to her head when Muso grabbed her arm and began dragging her away, most likely somewhere safe, Kaname guessed. She barely noticed the few fading screams of the now-deceased youkai, or the malicious looks the survivors gave as they retreated back to the darkness of the forest…

~*~*~O~*~*~

Well, guess what!! Sesshoumaru finally makes his appearance next chapter~! :3 I hope it was worth the wait, and I really hope you all like how this story is developing so far.

Now, just bear with me and I promise I'll be able to update as much as possible, but I can't exactly make any promises, with Christmas around the corner~! ^^;

Anyway, you all know the routine. R & R, and you'll make me a happy child. :3


	5. Chapter IV

_Disclaimer: None of the characters here are mine, but the ones I create. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi. :3_

~*~*~O~*~*~

It was long past sunset, and the full moon was high in the sky by this point. The Inuyoukai heir of the West had started traveling as soon as his father explained what was happening, and why he had sensed the aura of his father's mark on another.

'_Hn…Father never said_ why _he marked the girl, besides being interested in her abilities. But maybe it goes farther than that…Perhaps he wishes to use her powers..?' _Sesshoumaru mentally shook his head. His father held so much power himself, so why would he need the powers of a Shikigami user, especially if it's only an untrained, young ningen girl..?

Sighing in slight irritation, he took a quick glance at the sky to check his position, before releasing his youki to form an orb of light that would allow him to travel much faster…After all, his father did say to make haste…

~*~*~O~*~*~

"an…Kururugi-chan..?"

Kaname was drawn away from her state of unconsciousness by the sound of Muso's voice. Her eyelids flickered tiredly before they finally blinked themselves open, focusing her confused gray-blue orbs on the worried face of the old monk that was currently hovering over her. She watched curiously as his features softened from concern to relief as he spoke quietly to her.

"Ah, you're finally back among the living, Kururugi-chan…I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever wake up…" Sighing in relief, he smiled at the utter look of confusion that now dominated Kaname's features, "Child, do you remember anything of what happened, or even who I am? And if that's the case, I'm saddened you could so easily forget this monk…" He said, feigning hurt…

Kaname blinked, then laughed at Muso's actions, "Now, how could I ever forget such a character as yourself, good monk." She managed to only giggle softly a few more times before sighing as she sat up and looked soberly into her now-formally set lap. "Muso…I remember…you and the demons…But I don't recall how or why I passed out, or where we even are now…" she spoke quietly, her eyes downcast.

Sighing in an almost-fatherly way, Muso reached forward and lifted Kaname's face so that he may look her in the eye. Speaking softly, but firmly, he attempted to comfort her, "First, you should not look so depressed and self-lamenting. It does nothing good for the beauty of your soul…As for everything else, yes, I did battle the youkai, and after you passed out, I had to carry you to this old hut that was once used for monks during their years of travel and training…How or why you went unconscious as you did, however…It could have been from the shock of all of the youkai so near to you, or perhaps even a defense mechanism your body has chosen to now use…" By this time he had removed his hand from Kaname's face so that he could stoke his own scruffy chin in though. _'What if it has something to do with the demonic aura in her pack..?'_ Suddenly his eyebrows raised in shocked realization, "Oh dear…"

Kaname was a bit startled when Muso turned her face so he could 'look' her in the eye, but got over it quickly when his words sunk in as she quietly watched the monk sort through his thoughts…But when she heard his shocked statement, her brows furrowed in confusion and concern. "Is everything all right, good monk..?" she said warily.

Sighing softly, Muso rubbed the back of his shaven-head nervously, giving a half-smile as he spoke apologetically, "Actually, Kururugi-chan . . . I'm truly sorry for this, but it would seem in all the excitement, your pack was lost. . .I can go find it in the morning when the demons have retreated back to their…abodes, for lack of a better word…"

His closed-eyes looked downcast, his smile pulled into a frown, and his shoulders seemed to slump in disheartened defeat. He couldn't believe he'd been so foolish as to forget something that held such a powerful demonic aura…no wonder the youkai were following her…they were like moth to a flame!

Kaname's eyes widened considerably. _'The hairpin is _lost_..! But, what if the demons that survived find it, or Sesshoumaru-sama finds it, but no me…Oh..!' _Internally, she was fretting and getting more worried and less comforted by the second, but she managed to calm her features into a trained, emotionless face, one she'd learned to master at a very young age. She got up in a swish of soft cotton and silk that belonged to her mother, and headed for the door with a determined step. She faltered slightly when she her Muso's gasp, and stopped completely when she saw the monk step into her path, blocking the door defensively as he furrowed his thick brows and set his mouth into a firm line. Sighing softly, she blinked before speaking in a quiet, firm tone, "I'm sorry, good monk, but you need to move. It's important that I keep my things with me, and if we wait till morning, it may already be too late and everything I have will be lost. If you have a heart, you will let me pass, or at least escort me there, if you truly feel I can't manage to find my own things by myself." She watched as his features faltered, and his shoulders once more slumped. He quietly muttered that he'd come with, to make sure no more youkai would attack her, and the two left the comfort of the old hut and went off into the night, both hoping to find her pack as quickly as humanly possible…

~*~*~O~*~*~

Sesshoumaru travelled by way of his youki orb for about two hours before he finally touched down on a worn dirt road used by many for trade and other such things. He had sensed that his father's mark was somewhere in the nearby area, but he raised an elegant eyebrow when there was a strange lack of a human scent anywhere near it. Another thing that he picked up on was that the scent of a battle still lingered, and even now, he could feel the tingle of spiritual powers seeming to make the very air electric. It seemed that many youkai had died to this human monk…and yet there were still some lingering youkai nearby, surprisingly enough. Sesshoumaru paid little attention to them as he sorted through his thoughts, trying to think of what happened here, where this human girl was, and who was travelling with her that held such spiritual power…

It didn't take him very long to come across a pack that seemed to be tossed aside, forgotten, a little ways into the forest that flanked the road on both sides. Kneeling to the ground fluidly, he knew for certain that his father's mark was within the small, worn travelling pack as picked it up, studying it. Standing back up in an equally fluid motion, Sesshoumaru picked out where the item was and pulled it out, studying the gorgeous hairpin with slight curiosity and mild distaste, all at once. After all, it _was_ tainted with the scent of the ningen girl, even if it did belong to his father in the long run.

Just then the inu-youkai's ears started to pick up the sound of voices, coming toward him from his left side. Turning his piercing golden orbs toward the source of his disturbance from his thoughts, he waited silently as two humans neared the small clearing he currently occupied. As they got closer, he could tell that they were human, one male and the other female. From the male's scent, he was older than many humans tended to live in these times, and he was also a monk…the same that was responsible for the death of the youkai he noticed when he first touched down. It seemed that the monk noticed his presence, for he called out to the ningen girl, warning her to come back by him, but it was too late, it seemed. The girl broke through the foliage and finally came into the clearing, looking a bit irritated by something, but as soon as she saw Sesshoumaru, her eyes widened and she stopped dead in her tracks, blinking as if she were seeing things. When she realized the demon before was indeed there, she took a sharp intake of breath before backing up slowly until she ran into a tree. Sesshoumaru was simply watching and waiting for her to scream or run off, but then the monk stepped into the clearing, who immediately jumped in front of the girl protectively, eyes open slightly in a death glare. The inu-youkai heir merely returned it, but only out of irritation. 'Ningens…Such audacity…Hm?' Sesshoumaru's brow furrowed. Something about the girl was familiar to him, but what…?

He blinked in realization as he checked her scent again, and he figured out what was so familiar about her. She was the Shikigami user his father had marked. She was the one he came all this way for.

~*~*~O~*~*~

And there's Sesshoumaru for you! :3 I hope you liked, and just to let you know, Muso's eyes are always closed, unless he's in a fight. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter, and I have part of the next one done already. Ja ne~!

Anyway, you all know the routine. R & R, and you'll make me a happy child. :3


	6. Chapter V

_Disclaimer: None of the characters here are mine, but the ones I create. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi. :3_

~*~*~O~*~*~

Kaname was so irritated with the monk that she barely heard his warning as she pushed her way into the clearing just ahead. She was irked that he had abandoned her things, and he only made it worse when he attempted to mess with her by saying there was a spider youkai in her hair…Several times, mind you…

But when she finally looked up to check for her pack, she DID find it, but something else was with it – holding it, actually – Sesshoumaru-sama himself. Her eyes widened considerably as she felt the hidden strength of his aura. Looking at him, she noticed that he was holding the fragile hairpin that his father had bestowed upon her the previous night. It felt like it had been a lifetime since this morning, a distant part of her mind thought foggily. Blinking so as to make sure she wasn't just seeing things, she inhaled sharply in renewed surprise when she realized that he was, in fact, there, and that her mind wasn't playing tricks on her. Her body acted of its own volition when she backed herself defensively into a nearby tree, which in turn caused her body to further stiffen. _'Well, at least I'm not shaking like a total fool…'_ She thought distantly.

Just then Muso made his appearance, and looked more rigid than a mountain. She barely noticed when he stepped in front of her protectively, her eyes trained on the form of the inu-youkai in their vicinity. Even in what little light the full moon provided under the cover of the forest, she could still pick out the detailed markings on his face, his pale, seemingly-luminescent skin, regal clothes and posture, and his eyes. Those golden orbs that seemed to bore straight into her very soul. She shivered in both fear and a strange sort of delight in the fact he was staring at her just as intensely as she was him. She only snapped out of her daze at the sound of Muso's stern and commanding voice.

"Youkai. By your appearance, I assume you are the son of Inu no Taisho..? And if that's the case, why are you here…and why are you in possession of this girl's pack?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed slightly as he let out a quiet and distasteful snort, "Hn…you are correct, in your assumption of this Sesshoumaru's chichi-ue…However, my being here and what this Sesshoumaru chooses to do is no concern of a monk such as yourself." He stated calmly, but coldly.

Muso's already narrow eyes leveled into a fierce glare, "I see…with all due respect, m'lord, please return this girl's things and we will be on our way…" He barely got his words out when he suddenly focused on the item in Sesshoumaru's hand. He recognized the demonic aura as the one he sensed in Kaname's pack from earlier, but now that he looked closely, he could see that is was a hairpin in the shape of a crescent moon – the mark of the Western lord – and the fact that the aura of the hairpin closely resembled Sesshoumaru's aura only cemented that discovery…

Turning abruptly, Muso looked at Kaname with confusion and concern in his eyes. "...Kaname…Is it true that you were marked by Sesshoumaru-sama's chichi-ue..?" he said quietly, but a bit shakily, afraid of what she would say.

Said girl jumped slightly when the conversation was turned on her…she hadn't even realized she'd spaced out up until then. Her shoulders slumped as she allowed herself the chance to relax her tense muscles, and she closed her eyes sighing softly. Only the truth would suffice, and she knew it…besides, Muso had done much for her in the short amount of time she had been with him, and Kaname believed he had a right to know her circumstances…Opening her eyes, she looked at the ground, focusing on nothing in particular as she told Muso about the strange youkai that had attacked her, the strange feeling she had before she fainted, and the little pieces of words that must have come from the Western Lord. When she was done, Kaname looked up to read Muso's expression, expecting anything but what she saw.

His eyes were closed once more, in obvious thought and understanding as he sighed in relief. Muso even seemed to relax, and the tension disappeared completely from his aura…Kaname was more surprised when he 'looked' up and smiled understandingly, if not empathetically…

"Kaname-chan, I believe I understand why m'lord marked you, and truthfully, I'm relieved, yet saddened that this is the situation you have been forced into…" he said quietly, and he continued on after Kaname looked at him curiously, "It sounds like m'lord has taken an interest in your _abilities_, not you yourself, per say. By the sounds of it, it would seem you possess a strange power that must be quite extraordinary, for the Western Lord to take such a keen interest as to give you a summons by means of that hairpin…"

"A strange power..? I can't do anything like that; at least I don't think so…" Kaname said, waving her hands in front of her to dispel the thought of her being different from any other human.

"…Chichi-ue says you possess the uncommon ability to control beings known as Shikigami, and that the element he witnessed you using was that of a fire Shikigami."

The two humans turned to look at Sesshoumaru, who they had forgotten during their previous conversation. Kaname had a look of surprise, while Muso simply scratched his chin thoughtfully, nodding, mumbling how he thought that would explain everything.

Sighing softly, Sesshoumaru looked back toward Kaname. '_Father never even_ told _her what she is..? He must have a reason, if that is the case…but what..?'_ Tensing, the Inuyokai heir looked sternly at said Shikigami user, and spoke in a firm, commanding tone that held no argument, "Now that you are aware that this hairpin is a summons from my chichi-ue, and why he has taken such an interest in you that he'd send this Sesshoumaru, there can't be anyway that you'd refuse to come with myself…"

Straightening herself, Kaname looked sternly at Sesshoumaru, and spoke in as firm as a tone as she could muster, "Hai, I understand all of this, for the most part…and I was actually making my way to the Inu no Taisho's castle, hence why I'm not in my village anymore…" She finished this last statement quietly, just because she thought it might sound…odd.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed curiously at the Shikigami user…_'If that's the case, did she leave because she already knew she had a summons..?' _Curiosity peaked, Sesshoumaru asked nonchalantly, "Oh..? Tell me, why would you willingly leave the safety of your village..?"

Kaname smiled slightly, but her eyes held a bit of sadness behind them, as she spoke quietly, almost to herself, "…Well, I already had an idea…but that's not why I left…I left because I didn't want my village to be attacked by a demon like the one that came after me that night…and I didn't want to have to see my brother, the only family I have left, get hurt because of me…" By this time she had her eyes closed as she shook her head, so as to dispel such thoughts.

Sesshoumaru nodded his head in understanding, and found himself gaining a small fraction of respect for the onna before him. She hadn't just left her village to seek out her summons, for duty, she left to protect those close to her…such a show of devotion was rare to see in these times, from any race.

Before he could speak though, Muso spoke up, smiling kindly at Kaname, "Kaname-chan, I was right in assuming you have a heart and soul whose pureness could be compared to that of the holiest of deities…I only wish I could accompany you a while longer, so that I could see how you grow in the coming days."

Kaname's eyes widened as she looked at the monk before her. She could only look at him with shock and confusion as she asked him in a semi-hurt tone, "What do you mean by that? Where do you plan on going..?"

Her expression and tone hurt him to hear, for he could tell she didn't want to be left alone with a being she did not know, and simply wanted something around her to feel normal…Still, she had her destiny to face, and he could not stay, no matter how much he wanted to. Shaking his head with a small smile playing across his lips, he spoke half-laughing, "You can't expect much help from an old man, now can you? You have the protection of the Western Lord himself, and therefore, I am no longer needed. I'm sure you will manage…As for you, m'lord," Muso turned toward Sesshoumaru, who raised an eyebrow curiously as the monk spoke in a firm tone, "I realize I hold no true power over you, but I expect you to protect this girl, and to ensure that no matter what, she goes through as little pain as possible, and I mean in every sense of the word…she's been through enough, one would think."

Sesshoumaru snorted, irritated slightly, "Hn…as if this Sesshoumaru would allow the Shikigami user to be hurt…I'll take it that you were not implying such, for her sake…"

Muso smiled then, glad and relieved to hear such from the Inuyokai heir. He turned to Kaname, who was crying slightly now, as they said their goodbyes.

Once Kaname figured that she would be alright, she walked past Muso to go over by Sesshoumaru…but not before turning around and hugging the monk tightly, thanking him for all he'd done, and for just being present for her.

Muso watched quietly as the young woman left with Sesshoumaru, and he promised himself to pray for their safety…and for Kaname's happiness…

~*~*~O~*~*~

Gomen for not updating for a while, the holidays got me all wrapped up. =l That, and my chapter was saved at school D': Oh well, got it for you now, so that's good. ^^

Well, I'm not really sure if this will be the last of Muso, but you'll just have to stick around to find out. Until then, Ja ne~!!

Anyway, you all know the routine. R & R, and you'll make me a happy child. :3


	7. Chapter VI

_**Disclaimer:**__ None of the characters here are mine, but the ones I create. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi. :3_

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"How much farther is it..?" Kaname asked tiredly.

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, his eyebrows drawn down as he felt a headache starting to form. "Since you are ningen, it will take longer for us to arrive at the castle…Now then, stop asking that question, because it won't bring us any closer…" His words were quiet, but laced with irritation.

Kaname sighed softly, her shoulders slumping in defeat. They had been travelling since she had joined him last night, and it was getting late into the afternoon already…she was tired and her muscles were starting to get sore…but at least food wouldn't be a problem, at least for about a week. She'd gotten her pack back from Sesshoumaru and, luckily for her, nothing was missing. Sesshoumaru had kept the hairpin, for some reason or another that he wouldn't tell her, but at least she didn't have to deal with it anymore. Kaname looked up at the sky, which was darker, but cloud-free, at the moment. She knew that the Western castle was far away, but it was the one question that she could think to ask him, without seeming nosey…Then there was the fact she had no clue how to talk to him…she'd never been around someone of status before, and she'd never been given the chance to talk with a yokai without having to worry about getting attacked…

The Shikigami user looked over at the Inuyokai in front of her. She wondered what he was thinking about, because he always seemed so distant, from the little bit of time she'd been around him. Then Kaname thought that maybe it was what all beings of status were like, after all, no one would truly respect someone foolish and totally carefree…especially if that someone was a yokai…That led her to thinking about how the majority of the yokai she'd ever heard of lacked the ability to feel the same things as humans…Many of them probably didn't even understand the word love, or kindness, or friendship…

'_What a sad existence, to never love or be loved…'_ Kaname thought sorrowfully. Yokai weren't always the nicest things, and maybe that was why. They had no idea _how_ to be kind…

"…Onna, what are you thinking about that's darkening your aura so..?"

Kaname blinked, and looked up to find Sesshoumaru had stopped, and was giving her a slightly curious, if not weary look. She processed what he had asked, before her eyes widened slightly in understanding, before her expression calmed into an embarrassed smile as she waved a hand dismissively, "O-oh, it wasn't anything important, really…just thinking some random…things…" She trailed of and laughed a bit nervously, scratching the back of her head as she apologized quietly for disrupting their journey.

Sesshoumaru looked at the girl before him, wondering what had caused her aura to go from tired to…sad? Yes, that was it…Humans were such strange creatures, their emotions able to go from one extreme to the next in a matter of seconds. They baffled and annoyed him all at the same time. Blinking lazily, he closed his eyes for a moment and spoke quietly, "There is a clearing with a stream nearby. Once we arrive there, you may rest for a short time…"

Kaname blinked, looking at the Inuyokai before her with surprise, then happiness as she smiled. "All right, then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" She said enthusiastically, at which Sesshoumaru 'flinched' slightly from her loud voice and sudden excitement. Of any human he'd ever met – which wasn't many to begin with – she was the strangest, hands down…and perhaps, even the loudest, at this point. Most were quiet, composed, or fearful around beings such as himself and his father, but she was just…herself.

Sesshoumaru didn't know whether to respect her for it, or to become irritated and correct her behavior like you would a child.

Before he could do anything, however, the Inuyokai heir noticed that Kaname had come closer, and was studying him closely and almost curiously. His eyes narrowed slightly and his eyebrows drew downward, "…Is there something you need..?"

Kaname's eyes widened slightly, before she leaned back to be standing straight again, tilting her head to look at the ground, her hands fussing with her kimono sleeves as she spoke apologetically, "Gomen, I kind of need to know where this clearing is before I can go to it…but it seemed like something was on your mind, so I didn't want to ask…"

Sesshoumaru's gaze flickered slightly in surprise, before returning to his mask of indifference. Mutely, he wondered how this girl was able to pick up on his emotions almost as easily as he could hers…perhaps it had something to do with being a Shikigami user..? Blinking, he cleared his mind, for he needed to focus on the mission his father had given him…Of course she wouldn't be able to sense it herself, so he turned away from the still quiet onna as he started walking through the line of trees toward the clearing, expecting her to follow.

Not long after, he heard her footsteps as she made her way after him, but in a clumsier fashion. The hidden roots and other such foliage were no problem for someone such as himself, but for a ningen, especially the girl behind him, it proved a very difficult problem. There was a number of small crashing sounds and quiet cursing before he heard a loud thump, causing him to look back, now slightly irritated, at the clumsy girl.

Somehow, she'd managed to get her foot caught in a root, had fallen into a bush, and bumped her head into the trunk of a nearby tree…most likely the one whom the root belonged to. He raised an eyebrow at the mussed sight of the girl, and if he was anyone else, Sesshoumaru probably would have laughed at her antics. But since he wasn't, he simply leveled a pitying glare at Kaname, whom was just now attempting to disengage herself from both the bush and the root.

Kaname groaned softly as she lifted herself up slightly, rubbing the goose-egg on the back of her head with one hand, while supporting herself with the other. "Owww…..Why does nature hate me today..?" She leveled an icy glare at the root responsible for her mishaps, and huffed softly as she tried to free herself…she managed to free everything but her captive foot, which was wedged tightly into the root, whom she was currently cursing softly at. After another few minutes of failed struggling, Kaname plopped down unceremoniously, pouting in frustration.

During the whole ordeal, Sesshoumaru watched quietly…but was smirking at Kaname's antics. It amused him how foolish humans could be sometimes, and not only was this girl foolish, but she was also entertaining, instead of annoying, making it possible for Sesshoumaru to enjoy watching her failure. After she sat down in defeat, the Inu quirked a brow, his smirk still in place, "…This Sesshoumaru was unaware that a common root was so formidable…Do you need aid..?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Kaname turned to look at Sesshoumaru sharply, eyebrows drawn down and eyes narrowed as she scowled, voice irritated, "Your HELP is NOT appreciated, thank you very much, and neither is your sarcasm! Gah..! Personally, I think I liked it better when you were quiet…at least you were respectable then…"

"…Hn."

When Kaname went to look up at Sesshoumaru to ask what he meant, she noticed that he had walked over and had cut the root with ease by use of his claws. She blinked, and then paled slightly. She had almost forgotten that he was a yokai…and she had insulted him..! _'…I'd probably be dead by now, if it weren't for the fact that his father, Touga-sama, summoned me…I've really got to watch what I say…'_ Kaname thought grimly as she got herself picked up. Brushing herself off, she looked up to see that her Inuyokai companion was already a ways ahead of her and most likely didn't plan on stopping to allow her to catch up. Cursing again – which would now be a record for her – the young woman took off as quickly and carefully as she could after him, succeeding in not running into anymore plant problems.

Sesshoumaru barely gave a glance at Kaname as she stumbled clumsily into the clearing, panting at the amount of running she'd done in order to catch up to him. He snorted quietly in distaste, all humor gone now after hearing her rude words that could imply a few things…If she liked him quiet, then so be it…After all, it was unusual that he, Sesshoumaru, had graced a lowly ningen with his conversation in the first place…The Inuyokai was still pondering over why he had.

As soon as she made it into the clearing, Kaname's legs gave out on her from the sprint she had just pulled off. She hadn't run that fast in a very long time, and certainly never that far…Catching her breath, she looked around to see that Sesshoumaru had propped himself against a tree, his eyes closed, as if he was actually resting. She immediately took deep, quiet breaths, so that her breathing would return to normal and not disturb Sesshoumaru. After all, she felt a bit bad about what she had said, and she didn't want to rudely wake him up on top of it…

Once her breathing was normal again, she quietly got up and rummaged through her belongings, pulling out a cotton blanket that she'd brought with and an old 'pillow'. Once she had those set up, she sneaked off to try to find the stream Sesshoumaru had said was nearby. It took her a bit, but the girl had finally managed to find it, and she washed some of the dirt and sweat she'd accumulated the past couple days, and put some of the clean stream water into the empty flask she'd brought with. Once she had dried off, she started to head back to the makeshift camp, grabbing some kindling and smaller, easily carried branches on the way so she could make a fire for the night.

When she stepped back into the clearing, she was surprised to see a small fire going already in the middle of the campsite. She looked curiously over at her companion, who looked as if he hadn't moved since she'd left. She smiled, knowing Sesshoumaru had to be the one responsible, and made a mental note to thank him later. Kaname stepped over toward the fire and set down the kindly nearby, but not close enough where the flames would jump over to it. That done, she set the water flask back in her bag and headed straight for her blanket. It seemed her body finally noticed that she hadn't slept for two days straight now, and she needed the rest badly…especially since so much had happened recently…

Curling up and snuggling into her old pillow, back turned to the fire, Kaname fell asleep soundly within five minutes…

Golden orbs opened slightly, then swept around to land on the onna sleeping not two meters away. Sesshoumaru wasn't sure why, but for some reason, he had started that fire for her…maybe because he didn't want her wasting more time..? No..that wasn't right either…Sighing softly, his eyes narrowed curiously at Kaname's sleeping form. Even after all she had been through, she was still able to sleep soundly…the Inu almost envied her for it, for a 'peaceful' sleep had evaded him for many years now…

Immediately, he mentally shook off such thoughts, and looked up to see the moon. So many questions lingered in his mind, and no answers seemed to be in sight…The most pressing questions: What did his chichi-ue want with a newly discovered Shikigami user, and why was it that he, Sesshoumaru, heir to the Western lands, could not, even after her earlier discretion to his person, find it in him to hate her as he hated every other ningen in the world…They were nothing more than scum to him, but why couldn't he look on the girl before him as such..?

His eyes closed slowly as he felt the soft breeze move his bangs in a calm dance. Until they arrived at the castle, he would most likely never get the answers to his endless questions…But he needed them, and sooner rather than later was much more desirable. Opening his eyes once more, his gaze cold, he decided that tomorrow, he would use his youki to take them to the castle. After all, that would cut the time of the trip hugely to a mere few hours, rather than three more gruelingly bland days.

Suddenly, the wind changed, and the scent he was now picking up was…unsettling. Something was coming their way, and Sesshoumaru didn't like it one bit, considering it made his hackles stand on edge. Getting up swiftly, he raised his nose to the wind, scenting where the foul scent was coming from…the South, where they had just come from. Sesshoumaru walked briskly the few strides to Kaname's resting place, before kneeling down and jostling her slightly, attempting to wake her up.

Not long after, Kaname started to rouse herself as she blinked lazily back into the waking world. Startled at why she was awake and it was still very dark out, she looked around to spot something black and white, and very near to her face. Blinking a few more times, her mind finally kicked in as her eyes flew fully open, realizing that the colors in front of her were from Sesshoumaru's boot and the back of his hakama. Bolting upright and onto her feet, Kaname looked up at the yokai in front of her, who was standing very rigid. Eyes filled with worry, she spoke up quietly, "…Sesshoumaru-sama..?"

"Be quiet. We are being hunted." Was all the answer she got, which in turn made her stand quite stiffly, a bit a fear snaking its way through her veins. Looking around cautiously, Kaname tried to figure out where the thing that was hunting them was currently at…again, she spoke up, a bit of fear present in her voice this time around, "Um…by what exactly..?"

His eyes narrowed slightly as he made a check as to how many threats there now were… "…Roughly, there are now currently five enemies circling around the campsite…And they are none too different than the reported beast that attacked you not too long ago…"

Kaname's heart dropped into her stomach.

~*~*~O~*~*~

Well, there's there first journey day…you'll just have to wait and see. ^_~

Anyway, you all know the routine. Read & Review, and you'll make me a happy child. X3


	8. Chapter VII

_**Disclaimer:**__ None of the characters here are mine, but the ones I create. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi. :3_

~*~*~O~*~*~

"Y-you're kidding…right?" She smiled nervously, sweating slightly in fear.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed, no emotion evident with his mask of indifference in place. The scent of her fear was a bit distracting, and he spared her a glance. His brows furrowed. _'…She's afraid, yet smiling…hoping that I'm telling a lie, most likely…' _Closing his eyes so that he could dually focus on the enemies' movements and speak to Kaname, he said bluntly, "No. This Sesshoumaru never 'kids'. Now, prepare yourself, Shikigami user, and stay out of this Sesshoumaru's way."

Kaname flinched visibly as she looked around nervously, her hands clenched together at her chest as she tried to calm her erratic heartbeat. She might be a Shikigami user in name, but she had no clue how to summon anything!

Suddenly, there was a large crashing sound from behind, and the Kaname turned to see what caused it. Sesshoumaru had been right; it **was** another of the yokai that had attacked her back at the village! Her blood ran cold as she saw another come out from the foliage to stand next to the first.

The large, decaying mountain inus growled menacingly, and appeared to smirk as they looked at Kaname. They knew that she would be an easy target, and since she was just a young woman, she'd be tasty enough. The two barked out hoarse laughter as she stepped closer to the girl, their half skeletal, half fur-covered bodies shaking with anticipation as they prepared to lunge.

But they'd never get the chance. The pair of yokai noticed a new scent had appeared behind them, and as they turned to face it, something cut through them. They barely managed to howl out in agony as their bodies deteriorated from the poison of Sesshoumaru's Toxic Flower Claws.

Sesshoumaru stared at where the two slain yokai had been for no more than a second, before returning to Kaname's side to make sure the remaining enemies wouldn't attack her in his absence. Glancing sideways, he noticed how she was shaking slightly, still looking where the two yokai he had just killed had been. His eyebrows furrowed slightly, as he barked out sharply, "Girl! Do not just sit there uselessly! If you truly can control Shikigami, then I suggest you start to use them." It irritated him how this girl, whom his own _chichi-ue_ had taken an interest in, did nothing different then a normal ningen onna.

But Sesshoumaru wouldn't be given the chance to finish his thoughts, because while distracted, two more of the enemy yokai had entered the clearing and were currently barreling their way toward himself and Kaname. The Inu heir's eyes flashed dangerously as his irritation grew; he cracked his knuckles and, firing off his energy whip, managed to stop and seriously wound the two half-decayed mountain Inus. They howled out in pain and anger as parts of their bodies were cut off, leaving them in bloody, writhing heaps on the forest floor. Sesshoumaru stepped forward and, withdrawing a plain katana, drove it into the yokais' skulls, putting them out of their misery.

Kaname watched in sick curiosity and mild horror as Sesshoumaru pulled the blade loose and flicked it sharply to the side, making the blood that was left on it fly off to splatter on the ground sickeningly. Any words left her as she swallowed, trying to moisten her now-dry throat. Just for a moment, Kaname had truly believed Sesshoumaru to be almost…human; but the fighting and carnage she now saw was like a slap in the face: The 'man' she was travelling with was a demon, and if she wasn't careful, he could kill her with just the flick of a wrist.

As he checked to make sure the blade was clean of any blood, Sesshoumaru noticed that Kaname's scent had changed, and quite abruptly at that. Turning, he was slightly shocked to see that the girl was looking directly at him, shaking in fear. After being with her, even for such a short time, she had never once shown any_ true_ fear…not of this level anyway, because she looked absolutely terrified. Something inside of him clenched painfully at that thought, causing the Inu heir to frown. _'…Why…why is she afraid of me now? She knows I'm a demon, and yet had never shown any true fear…so why now?'_ Sesshoumaru was about to take a step toward her, when he felt something move across his back. Then a new feeling came to him: Pain. He could only growl out in agony as he fell forward, just barely managing to catch himself before he landed face first on the forest floor. Looking back, he saw the source of his pain; a deep gash, going from his right shoulder to his left hip, was now clearly visible as blood started to poor out of it. The Inu was finding it hard to breathe as his vision started to blur, making him grind his teeth and growl quietly, but menacingly.

Kaname flinched slightly when Sesshoumaru stepped toward her, and she found herself unable to stop. She hated how she was acting, and knew that he wasn't here to hurt her, but her body refused to listen to her. It was then that something behind him caught her eye, and she watched in horror as the last mountain inu attacked the oblivious Sesshoumaru. When the Inu heir fell to his knees and she saw his wound, something in her snapped. Her bangs covered her eyes as she stood up, planting her feet firmly on the ground as all of her fear dissipated. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Kaname vaguely thought that it was like something had possessed her body as she spoke, the words effortlessly forming in her mind. "Yokai. How dare you hurt Sesshoumaru-sama…_how dare you!_"

The mountain inu had been laughing darkly over the pup he had just injured, his face split with a twisted smirk as soon as he had fallen to his knees. He was about to attack him again when he noticed something was off. Looking up with malice in his eyes, he noticed that the ningen girl had finally stood up, but there was something…different…about her. His eyes grew wide as he felt something akin to an electric current shoot through him in waves, causing him to yelp in surprise. Once over the initial shock, he turned back to the girl, his fangs bared and he growled maliciously, pressed low to the ground as he prepared to lunge at her.

But he'd never get the chance. A powerful aura erupted from Kaname then as her emotions spiked; because of how it flared out uncontrollably, it scorched the foul mountain inu instantly, leaving nothing but ash.

Dealing with the deep gash on his back, Sesshoumaru barely had enough time to register the next few seconds. All he could really process was that the last mountain inu had been dealt with, and it was Kaname's doing. Looking up at said girl, he found that he couldn't even look directly at her; her aura was nearly blinding.

This concerned him, because when he looked at her, she was blank. Only the Shikigami were present in her now, and the raw emotions she had unleashed during the attack. If things continued this way, Kaname may lose herself to the raw power of her Shikigami. His instincts called to him then as his inner yokai became restless, wanting to come out. Usually, Sesshoumaru would ignore such urges, but this time was different…his beast wanted him to calm the girl. Deciding it was for the best, the whites of his eyes glowed a soft crimson as his own aura was freed from its bonds, circling around his form in a bright golden light. Sesshoumaru then manipulated his aura to surround Kaname and constrict her out-of-control energy as he helped to rein it in.

Once down to a manageable level, she started to gain a small inkling of control over the Shikigami within her as the lights of her eyes returned. Fully aware of what was now going on, Kaname, along with the help of Sesshoumaru, pushed her powers back to where they'd escaped from. Once that was done, Sesshoumaru's aura lingered until she was calm enough to not collapse, and then returned to the recesses of his mind, causing his eyes to return to normal and his yokai to quiet down.

Kaname's breathing was labored as she felt her new abilities course through her, and she felt a bit drained from the exertion she had just been put through. After being able to breathe a bit more normal, her mind finally started working again, and the first thing that came to mind was that Sesshoumaru had been injured, badly. Looking up at said demon, her eyes flickered in concern and her feet started to move on their own as she stumbled her way to him. She looked him over before getting too close, and when she saw his closed eyes and his clenched jaw, Kaname knew that he was in pain. "…Sesshoumaru-sama..?" She spoke softly, concern and worry lacing her words.

At the sound of his name spoken in such a way, Sesshoumaru managed to open his eyes, but only barely as he looked in Kaname's general direction. He huffed softly in annoyance, and when he spoke, it was through gritted teeth, "You're concern is unnecessary, you should be worrying more about yourself than my condition…" He trailed off as his pain spiked once again, causing him to growl lowly. However, he stopped when he noticed movement, and was surprised to find that Kaname had moved behind him. His thin eyebrows drew down slightly as his eyes narrowed curiously, wondering what she could be up to…but he wouldn't be left wondering long, because her hands started to glow a soft blue as her Shikigami aura rose up slowly.

Her eyes were focused on his wound as her aura grew steadily, until finally, something started to form above her. It was a Koi fish, at least in appearance, and Sesshoumaru's eyes widened slightly in surprise as the iridescent blue Koi Shikigami glided over to hover above Kaname's hands. Suddenly, the Shikigami's aura flared out softly as it fanned out over Sesshoumaru's wound, closing nearly instantly as it helped to speed up the healing process. Almost as soon as it had appeared, the Shikigami disappeared back into Kaname's aura, which then dissipated back inside of her body.

Sesshoumaru was stunned, to say the least. He had no idea that this girl, who had not five minutes ago lost control of her powers, would be able to use them so efficiently that she could not only heal a severe injury, but form an actual guardian with her aura. The Inu was dragged from the thoughts when he noticed Kaname waver slightly; her breathing was labored, and she was sweating slightly, with her eyebrows drawn down as if in pain. Sesshoumaru was a bit concerned about her condition, and realized that after her earlier outburst, she must have pushed herself too hard. His eyes held mostly hidden concern, but he sighed softly as if he did not care.

Carefully, he picked the half-unconscious girl up bridal-style, and brought forth his youki to form his orb of light. With her current condition, and his as well, he knew that they needed to get back to the Western castle as soon as possible. It would drain him considerably, but it needed to be done. Once fully formed, Sesshoumaru got his bearings and took off quickly, hoping to make it to the Western castle before he ran out of energy…and also, he hoped that his father wouldn't be too displeased with him…

~*~*~O~*~*~

*claps hands in front of self* . Please forgive me for such a late update. School has been rough, and with boy issues and college prep and jobs and such, I've been swamped…X.X I really hope that my rudeness hasn't driven you all away, and that you'll continue to read this. Still uncertain how long this will end up being, but I have a feeling it will be a long story. *sweatdrop*

Anyway, Inu-papa makes his return next chapter, I think…yay!! 8D


	9. Chapter VIII

_**Disclaimer: **__None of the characters here are mine, but the ones I create. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi. :3_

~*~*~O~*~*~

There were so many auras flaring, some closer than others to the Western Estate. The Daiyokai looked out over the lands and studied each one, noticing that most belonged to the mountain Inus that had recently been multiplying in his domain. It was odd, really. Why were they all coming here, and what had happened to them to make them smell like death, but be alive? It was a mystery to him, and he hated that. He was supposed to know everything that went on in his domain, and he had puzzled over this for a while now, ever since meeting that young Shikigami user…and yet he'd been unable to figure it out. Perhaps they were being controlled..? But then who was controlling them, and for what purpose..?

Touga shook his head. He couldn't figure it out just from their sporadic actions, or even from their numbers. There were many ideas, but nothing solid and concrete that he could act upon…and this irked him. The very fact that he, the Western Lord, was unsure of the state of his own lands…His yokai growled at that, proving that he was indeed irritated by this fact.

However, something caught his attention then. The Daiyokai removed himself from the window he had been standing at to make his way to the front gates. Several emotions flitted through his mind, but none made their way to his face. As he passed by the guards eyed him curiously, but he simply waved them off as the gates were opened and he stepped outside. He didn't venture too far before he halted his steps, and his eyes narrowed.

Before him was his son, the scent of blood still on him, and an unconscious Kaname in his arms. The Western Lord quickly stepped toward the duo then, a frown evident on his face. When a couple guards came up behind him, he immediately dismissed them to get the healer.

Sesshoumaru, his golden eyes dull from over-use of his powers in a weakened state, watched as his father came to him and dismiss a few guards. He kept his face clear of all emotion or sign of weakness as he spoke firmly. "Chichi-ue, the girl is fine, simply tired from over-exerting herself.."

Touga raised a hand to silence his son. "I'm aware of this. What happened?"

As Sesshoumaru explained to his father about the run-in with the Mountain Inus, he watched his father's expression grow darker with every passing detail. However, at the mention of Kaname not only discovering her powers, but also being able to form a guardian at her early stage, curiosity made its way to the older Inu's face. "She formed a guardian, you say..? Not even Shikigami masters before her could do this, at least not so early or so easily…"

Realizing that the healer was almost to them now, Inutaisho silenced any further discussion. "We shall talk about this later on. For now, get some rest. The healer will take care of the girl." Inutaisho had noticed that his son had taken the mark he'd given Kaname, but would ask him why at a later time. No matter how good Sesshoumaru was at hiding how he really felt, it didn't take a genius to figure out that he was exhausted…

Watching his son glare slightly at the healer as they took Kaname from him, the Western Daiyokai walked with his son, wondering why he was acting so differently then usual with humans…

~*~*~O~*~*~

It was midmorning the next day when Kaname showed signs of waking up. Her eyelids flickered slightly, before she managed to blink them open slowly. She squinted though, and lifted a hand to her face to block out the bright sunlight that was pouring in through the window beside her bed.

'_Wait…bed?'_

Still a bit sore, she slowly sat up and glanced around the room she occupied curiously, but wearily. She suddenly picked up on all of the demonic auras around her then, and realized that by the amount and the area they took up, she must be in the Western castle..!

Pulling back the covers of her bed, she noticed that, with a blush, she was wearing a soft, white silk kimono, and that her clothes were beside her bed, washed and folded neatly. Glancing around the vacant room sheepishly, she quickly changed out of the borrowed kimono and into her normal rust-colored kimono and grey hakama. Satisfied with her attire, she proceeded to rummage around the room to find a small mirror, as well as a simple comb and basin filled with water, so that she could wash her face. Aside from the basin, she realized that these items were hers that she had kept with her in her bag…

'_I suppose that was thoughtful of them, to set this up for me…' _After grooming herself to look decent enough to go out in public, she was almost at the shoji door when it slid open abruptly, startling her, to say the least.

The young yokai maid, a black dog demon by the looks of it, smiled kindly at Kaname as she nodded in greeting. "Greetings, Lady Kururugi. My name is Sara, and I've brought you your breakfast on the Lord's command. I hope it is to your liking."

After recomposing herself, Kaname smiled and accepted the food graciously, "Thank you very much! Speaking of which, when should I be seeing him..?"

Sara, after going past her and setting her tray of food and tea at a small table, waved a hand simply, "Oh, do not worry about that just yet. M'lord has some business to attend to, but he will summon for you very soon, I assure you. For now, just eat and make yourself comfortable while you wait." And with that she exited the room, bowed once more, and closed the shoji door carefully.

Kaname sat there with a blank look on her face for a while, before reality finally sank in. She had come all this way to meet the Inu Lord for who knows what reason, and she has to wait.

Well, he was the Western Lord. Probably had a lot of other duties to take care of, so of course she wouldn't be the top priority. Sighing softly, her features softened as she turned to eat what was given to her.

~*~*~O~*~*~

I am SO sorry for neglecting this story. T_T  
I would have posted something sooner, but I had lost the free time I had during first semester last year, so I never had time to type up anything. And then a very bad thing happened…I lost my love for fanfic DX

However, I finally got back on fanfic yesterday. I reread all of my chapters, and finally was able to put this together. Once again, I'm very sorry for not updating for so long. I hope that I didn't upset any of you. v.v

Anyway, you all know the routine. Read & Review, and you'll make me a happy child.


	10. Chapter IX

_**Disclaimer: **None of the characters here are mine, but the ones I create. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi. :3_

~*~*~O~*~*~

"Milord, your guest has arrived...Lord Takaryu."

The Inu Lord, who had been busy going through some scrolls on his desk, glanced up at the elderly maid before him and let out a silent huff through his nose. Takaryu was the son of the Eastern Lord, and he was more than likely here to make sure their treaty was still intact for the upcoming year...peachy. Dealing with the dragon yokai was probably one of the least favorite parts of his duties...but it had to be done, or else war would be a very real threat. And as one of the Daiyokai, it was his duty to try to prevent that at all cost...for his sake and his land's.

Waving a hand, he dismissed the maid and acknowledge what she said, waiting for her to leave before he pushed aside the paperwork before him, all an assortment of complaints and pleas for help with the decayed mountain inus that had just recently been plaguing his lands. What did it mean, why were they here? The same old questions on the matter came to mind. He _had_ to find out what was really going on, and who was behind this...

~*~*~O~*~*~

It was almost noon when another maid finally came in to take Kaname to the meeting hall, where she would finally be able to figure out why she was here, and what Lord Touga could possibly want with her. After the maid led her there and spoke with the guards at the door, the formidable looking doors were pushed aside as they gestured her inside. Subconsciously standing straighter, Kaname double checked that her kimono was in decent shape, and that her hakama had no extra, unsightly folds before she cautiously walked inside, barely hiding how timid she felt at this moment.

Almost as soon as she stepped inside, she could feel several sets of eyes on her. Most belonged to the guards positioned at the different doorways, but she could see that across the room Sesshoumaru was watching her, a strange calmness hidden behind his usual blank expression. However, it was the man sitting beside him that caught her attention at this point in time. Even sitting, the yokai commanded complete attention, even away from the beautifully crafted room, causing a small bead of sweat to run down the side of the girl's face.

Quickly wiping it away, Kaname swallowed her doubts and took carefully placed steps towards the two Inus, making sure not to look them directly in the eye so as to not disrespect them. As soon as she was a few meters from them, she noticed a smile grace the older yokai's lips, making her feel more uncomfortable again...it wasn't a mean smile, not by far, but a kind smile from a yokai couldn't mean anything good. Kneeling to the ground, she bowed respectfully to the two before her, holding her questions until given permission to speak.

~*~*~O~*~*~

When was the girl coming? Touga was never really known for his patience, especially when it came to something like this. He finally was going to properly meet the Shikigami user, who by what his son had said, had discovered her powers on their way to his castle, even progressing to the point of being able to willingly create guardians from the different abilities she possessed...unheard of in one so young. Tapping his claws on the arm of his throne, he vaguely noticed his son staring at him, more then likely wondering what was bothering he, his chichi-ue...There were too many things besides his impatience to recall.

The young heir watched his father closely, noticing his impatience growing while they waited for their guest to arrive. Sesshoumaru still wondered what his father was up to, or if he even knew when it came to this ningen Shikigami user...He had tried to ask ahead of time, while he was healing, but his chichi-ue simply told him to wait until the meeting today. Letting out a mostly-silent huff, the young Inu turned his attentions back towards the main entrance to the throne room, where the guards would be letting Kaname enter.

Luckily, their wait was over. The doors began to open, revealing the slender form of the young woman they both recognized as Kaname. As she made her way over, the Inus noticed her nervous demeanor, and without realizing it, they both felt the need to try to reassure her somehow. Sesshoumaru's eyes softened ever so slightly at the girl, and his beast within chuckled at him, one who had always claimed to dislike humans and want nothing to do with them. But at the same time, his beast was pleased. It had taken a liking to this girl - she not only smelled delightful, but she wielded power, and a rare type at that. With the thoughts of his inner self, Sesshoumaru immediately silenced them; he may be willing to accept her power, but she would always be a ningen, and was off limits. His beast needed to get that through its mind, and fast.

Touga, on the other hand, observed the girls nervousness and his beast felt compelled to calm her, much he would with his pup when Sesshoumaru was much, much younger. The girl was young, far from home, and in a home filled with yokai...how could she not feel nervous?

Smiling some, he watched as she knelt before them, bowing in respect. Glancing toward the nearest pair of guards, the Dai narrowed his eyes, sending a clear message to leave the hall to give them privacy. The guards immediately obeyed, and the message was clear even to the other guards who had not witnessed their lord's glare, so they all opened their doors and exited, closing them behind them to guard from the outside.

Now that they were alone, Touga sighed softly and turned back to the girl before them, still bowing, but obviously confused about what was going on around her. "Girl. You may stand, your respect is appreciated but no longer necessary..." He watched her flinch slightly at the sound of his voice, one he'd always been told from a young age that it had a commanding tone to it, as she lifted herself into a sitting position, her hands folded neatly on her lap as she continued to stare at the floor. A small chuckle emitted from his lips at how formal she was being, a trait unexpected from a ningen in this time toward a yokai. Apparently surprised by it, the girl's eyes widened slightly as she finally looked up at him, surprise evident on her face. His smirk still in place, Touga spoke up once more, this time softer so as to not startle her too much. "Ah, there you are. I was beginning to wonder if you were that polite, or so disgusted you didn't want to look upon us...Welcome to the Western castle, young one. My name is Touga, and I am the Daiyokai of these lands. My son has told me much about you and your journey...Kururugi, was it?"

Flustered and still blushing after the Inus comments, Kaname was caught off guard and nearly forgot how to speak after she realized she hadn't even introduced herself! "H-hai, milord! Forgive my manners, my name is Kaname Kururugi. I'm honored that you invited me here, and had your son escort me..." Her demeanor changed as she said that last bit, as she remembered that while protecting her, Sesshoumaru had been hurt by those freaky decayed dogs...it wasn't exactly a pleasant memory, the parts she remembered anyway.

"Oi. Keep your emotions in check around the lord, a girl's sadness, or pity, bother us..." Kaname's eyes widened as she turned her attention to Sesshoumaru, forgetting how easily Inus such as themselves could pick up on even the slightest change in her emotions...how embarrassing! She felt her cheeks growing warm as she looked away in embarrassment, hoping he couldn't read her mind, too.

"Sesshoumaru. Hold your tongue." Shooting a look at his son, the younger Inu immediately looked back ahead of him and went silent, obeying his father's wishes. The older Inu's gaze softened as he turned back to Kaname, his voice changing to try to soothe her worries. "Forgive him, he means no harm...now then, it's very nice to finally meet you properly, Kaname. I'm sure you're curious as to why you are here..." Immediately the demeanor of the two young ones shifted, clearly expressing that they were indeed curious and eager to hear his reasons.

"Kaname. You are here because the night you were attacked by that Mountain Inu, I witnessed you release a power the likes of which I'd never seen in the entirety of my lifetime. And it was clear that you would no longer be safe, because after I finished that cur, I could already feel a shift in the air that told me only more would come for you. So, I sent my son, Sesshoumaru, to follow the scent and aura of my mark to bring you back here, for your own safety...only until I returned to the castle did I realize how wise it was to do so...

As you've seen, that vile creature that attacked you originally wasn't alone. And the ones the two of you fought off are not the last of them, either. I can smell the scent of their deathly bodies all across my lands, extending to the other territories as well, most likely. Because of this, I retreated to my study to see if there were any old documents on such creatures, or such an occurrence. And that was when I found this," lifting his hand, Touga reached into his sleeve and withdrew a weathered scroll, "which contains quite interesting, yet disturbing information. It would seem you, my dear, are not the only Shikigami user recorded. And this form of attack on one of the domains has also been recorded, though of a different caliber. There isn't much deciphered and much has been lost to the test of time, but from what I could understand, there was a time when Shikigami users were far more prominent, almost as common as mikos. However, many were sought out and wiped out of existence by creatures known as 'kyonshi'. This is the title given to the creatures from then, and the ones we face now. What they do is take the very life essence of one from the plane of the living to 'feed' themselves, so that they may exist and move about...

The reason they targeted Shikigami users was because of their special abilities, making for a very powerful soul essence that could let them live for a decade on just that one soul. The situation is, obviously, different in our time because of how rare Shikigami users are, but that doesn't change the fact that you are one. And any of the kyonshi that recognize that fact will stop at nothing to hunt you down for your soul, even if that means fighting one another for the chance at such a...delicacy to them, shall we say..."

Touga stopped. Looking at Kaname, concern immediately arose within him. The poor girl, still so young, was obviously trying to take everything in, and when she heard that others of her kind had been wiped out by the same sort of creatures going after her now...it would terrify anyone so young and inexperienced with life. Touga should have taken this much more slowly and delicately...but unfortunately, now was not the time, for there was no time. The kyonshi were after her now, and dragging out the explanation would get them nowhere...he just hoped it wouldn't be too much for her to handle.

~*~*~O~*~*~

I am so, soooo sorry for leaving you all like that. Many things have been going on with my life, and for a long while there I lost any motivation to write fanfic. Only recently, after I started RPing a bit more as Kaname and Sesshoumaru, did I start to get slowly inspired again. And it's made my thoughts on where to go with this story different, but much better. I'm hoping to make this quite the tale, if you all would be willing to join me again.

Again, I apologize for just disappearing with no warning, and now that I've finally gotten back to writing, I'm hoping to get this story written for you all. The uploads may take a lil bit, since my internet's not really working atm, but I'll do my best, for all of you.

It's been so long since I've said this, but...I look forward to your R&Rs. ^^


	11. Chapter X

_**Disclaimer: **None of the characters here are mine, but the ones I create. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi. :3_

~*~*~O~*~*~

_'No way...no way...' _Kaname was, to say the least, scared of everything she'd just heard. These 'kyonshi'...they'd existed before? And what was worse, there used to be others like her, and a lot at that, but these things killed them all...took their very soul and used it to sustain their lives...how horrible. Whimpering slightly, Kaname didn't even try to stop her shuddering. Thinking about what happened to her fellow Shikigami users and what may happen to her now in this time had her scared to the core.

Standing up abruptly, a shadow fell over her face. Clenching her fists tightly, Kaname bowed curtly before turning from the two Inus. As soon as she did, she bolted from the hall, not even sure where she was going as she shoved open one of the doors and ran past some very surprised guards.

Touga sighed softly. It would seem he was right - it was too much for her to take in at once. Her fear was so obvious, even a normal ningen would have been able to detect it...

Glancing at his son, the Inu no Taisho simply gave a curt nod - it was all the command Sesshoumaru needed to know to go after the girl. Touga watched his son leave the hall to track her down, quietly musing as he used his right hand to rub soothing circles on his temple. This was going to be interesting...

~*~*~O~*~*~

"Why me...why..? Michiru, what do I do..?" Kaname had managed to find her way to the castle gardens, seated underneath a large sakura tree. It reminded her of the one at the center of her village, though much more grand. It calmed her...

As she sat there, Kaname realized many things while she sorted through her thoughts. How something was always going wrong in her life...how she and her brother had lost their mother at a young age, how Michiru had to work himself tirelessly just to help them get by in life, and now this...only now did she realize how heart-broken he must have been, returning home only to find a note and now alone...

What had she done?

~*~*~O~*~*~

Foolish girl. Fleeing from their meeting like that...and even if she had bowed, she had still been disrespectful to not only his father, but to him as well...it was selfish of her to just leave like that...

_**'Do you honestly believe that?'**_

Sesshoumaru growled quietly to himself. Now his beast was giving him grief; just what he needed._ 'Stay out of this. She ran from us out of her own selfish, pathetic human emotions.'_

_**'Us? You don't even care she ran from our father, you just can't stand the fact she ran from us. You're scared she hates us...'**_

"That's enough. Go back to being silent...and don't talk of things you don't know." Slowly, his beast returned to the recesses of him mind. But not quietly, oh no...he went laughing. Narrowing his eyes, Sesshoumaru let out a huff through his nose. His beast had always been the polar opposite of he: wild and far too talkative.

The young Inu cut off his train of thought when he realized he'd made it to the castle gardens...and that this was where Kaname had wandered. He was almost surprised she'd made it so far from the meeting hall. Stepping down onto the dirt path, Sesshoumaru picked out Kaname's scent from the strong floral scent of the gardens as he made his way along the path. As he neared a rather impressive sakura tree, he spotted a familiar figure at the base of it. Stopping fifteen feet away, Sesshoumaru observed Kaname, her arms hugging her legs to her chest as she hid her face from any who would look. An unfamiliar feeling pooled within the young heir as he watched her in this pitiable state...something akin to pain? No, that wasn't it.

Either way, he hated it. This was so unlike him, to feel anything toward anyone, especially a ningen onna...it was unbecoming. Shaking off the strange emotion, Sesshoumaru stepped forward and got within a few feet of the girl now, his eyes narrowed in irritation. "Stand. Chichi-ue was not done with you yet, and you must respect his wish to return..."

~*~*~O~*~*~

After her previous thoughts, Kaname had completely broken down, crying her eyes out as all the despair of her past and present suddenly crashed down onto her. Even her future was no longer certain, except for the possibility of having her soul eaten by a kyonshi. Mother always said she could be whatever she wanted when she was little...a freak-yokai's snack hadn't been an option she'd probably thought of when she said that.

Busy with her sorrow, she hadn't even noticed Sesshoumaru enter the gardens, let alone get within three feet of her until he spoke. Genuinely startled, the girl visibly flinched, whilst hugging her legs tighter. Her tears still hadn't stopped flowing, but at least she hadn't been sobbing when he arrived. Still, she was in no mood to talk to Touga-sama; she couldn't take any more information in right now, and it wasn't like she was presentable with tears all over her face and attire. Making sure to hide her face, Kaname closed her eyes and spoke into her lap, muffling her words, "Gomen ne...but please go away. I'm in no condition to return, and frankly, I don't want to right now. Just leave..."

Sesshoumaru stared down at the girl before him. She was right...the scent of her tears were so strong it nearly repelled him. Her cloud of sorrow was also helping in that aspect...it was clear what she was feeling; and it was also clear she wasn't willingly moving any time soon. Closing his eyes, his eyebrows drew down in frustration. The scent of Kaname's tears were truly bothersome, and he needed to do as his father instructed. Finally making a decision, after once again shoving down his beast's desire to comfort the girl, Sesshoumaru snorted softly. She was moving whether she liked it or not.

Kaname's eyes shot open in surprise as she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist, heaving her out of her defense curl to being held at a very, very irritating Inuyokai's hip. Her tears dried up immediately as she became quite angry, not just from being disturbed, but by the sheer embarrassment of being carried like a pail of water. Squirming, Kaname glared up at the back of Sesshoumaru's head and started shouting, "Hey! Put me down this instant, you, you..! I just wanted to be left alone, you jerk!" By this point she didn't even care how rude she was being, or if anyone would want her blood for it. She just wanted to be left alone to be sad!

As he made his way down the long hall that would take them to his father's private office, Sesshoumaru was starting to lose a grip on his anger. All this shouting and the indignity of having to haul around a human girl like a sack was beginning to be too much for him. It was beneath one such as he, the heir to the Western lands. How did he end up in this situation again..?

That's right, because his father had insisted. Insisted upon summoning this girl, upon having him 'fetch' her, and then 'fetch' her again when she ran off because she got emotional. It was ridiculous, and made him think his father had not a single bit of respect for him...

"...you jerk!"

Really? She was resorting to calling him names? He, a yokai who not only was of higher station then she, but who was currently holding her and could easily crush her in his grip for such disrespect? This was an impudent wench, that much was certain. Upping his pace, Sesshoumaru quickly made his way through the halls, trying to avoid as much attention as possible. The few housekeepers and maids they'd already passed, he could already smell their amusement or disgust. And that was not something he wanted all the help to have in mind when they say their lord-to-be.

When he felt a sudden tap on the back of his legs, Sesshoumaru stopped dead cold. That _tap_, had in fact been Kaname's lame attempt to _punch_ him. He, Sesshoumaru. The one who'd protected her on the way here. The one who's put up with so much for his father's sake. The one who -

_**'Oh quiet, you fool. You didn't do those things simply because our chichi-ue told us to. You did it because we feel compelled to, for whatever reason...'**_

_'No. Enough of this nonsense, this is just a ningen girl. I'm not compelled by anything I feel, for I feel nothing.'_

_ **'You know that's a lie...'**_

_'Enough!'_

Gritting his teeth, Sesshoumaru vaguely heard a small whimper from the one in his grasp. Coming back to reality, he realized that during his mental conversation he'd accidentally tightened his grip on Kaname. So much so he'd almost snapped one of her ribs. Immediately loosening his grip, Sesshoumaru said nothing and didn't even bother looking at her any further before changing his course of direction, and hastily at that.

Kaname barely had time to process where they were going and what was happening before she was suddenly tossed onto a familiar futon. Yelping in surprise from her landing, Kaname rubbed her sore side while noticing she was back in her room they'd assigned her, with a very quiet Sesshoumaru towering above her yet. She involuntarily gulped, afraid of what was going to happen. That power-squeeze of his completely abolished her anger, and made her realize how many rude things she'd said, and that she had hit him. _Hit_ him! She would be lucky he would let her live, let alone forgive her insolence...

"...I will inform the Lord you are not well enough to see him yet. I would suggest, however, an attitude adjustment before you see him again..." With that said, Sesshoumaru turned on his heels and left the room, closing the door behind him.

To say Kaname was surprised was to put it very, very simply. Not only had he not killed her, or even punished her for her behavior...he actually respected her wish to be alone and brought her all the way to her room. It was almost like he'd suddenly gotten considerate...

A strange feeling welled-up within Kaname's heart after that encounter with the young Inuyokai. She had a feeling that from now on, things may be different...

~*~*~O~*~*~

Alrighty, here's the latest installment of TIME! ^^ I hope you enjoyed it, it was fun trying to sort through all my ideas to write this chapter. Perhaps some feelings are FINALLY being stirred up between the two...you'll just have to see what's in store for these two next chapter.

Till then, I look forward to your R&Rs! ^^


	12. Chapter XI

**_Disclaimer: _**_None of the characters here are mine, but the ones I create. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi. :3_

~*~*~O~*~*~

Touga sat quietly, his eyes widened some in surprise as he looked upon his son before him. When Sesshoumaru came in empty-handed, but with the scent of Kaname on him clearly evident, the dog general was immediately curious as to what his son had done with the girl. As he watched the young Inu, it took all his willpower to not question his son's behavior when the young Inu explained himself. His son, Sesshoumaru, had actually taken the girl to her room, and had come back empty-handed to just report that she wasn't well enough to see him further. It was so...strange. The older Inu had never seen his son actually respect the wishes of another, especially against the orders of his own chichi-ue. He was left to wonder if Sesshoumaru's beast had anything to do with this change in behavior. Touga knew his son's beast well, being his father, so he knew how much different it was than the son before him, who had always been cold like his mother. Perhaps it had something to do with the girl...has his son taken an interest in a female finally? And a human one, at that..? As much as this intrigued him, he would keep this thought to himself for now. Nodding to acknowledge his son's words, Touga dismissed him and got up, leaving without a word. As much as this intrigued him, there was something else that he needed to do first...

~*~*~O~*~*~

Kaname sat in her room quietly, her eyes focused out the window on nothing in particular. However, her mind was flooded with thoughts on what had just happened. Sesshoumaru finding her in her state of depression, being carried by him like a sack, the anger and annoyance she felt from that, the sudden pain of his grip, and then the surprise of being thrown into her room as she had asked, and Sesshoumaru actually respecting her wishes...What did she do to make him listen like that? Or was it even something she said...he obviously had something on his mind, by how he was acting. But what..?

However, her thoughts were interrupted when she heard her door open. Seeing who it was, the young woman's eyes immediately widened before she went down into a deep bow where she sat on her futon, forehead almost to the floor. "T-Touga-sama...I offer my apology for the way I behaved earlier, and my suddenly leaving like that -"

Movement and the sound of rustling silk stopped her words as she saw a figure through her bangs get closer. Biting her lower lip, she closed her eyes as she awaited what the dog lord would do...perhaps he'd kill her?

However, all she felt was a gentle touch on her head. She opened her eyes, and lifted her head to look up at the yokai before her. Touga had a gentle smile on his face, as he helped Kaname to sit up to a normal seated position. A faint blush spread across her cheeks as she realized someone of such a high rank had not only personally come to see her, but had made her sit up instead of bow. His smile wasn't helping her blush either. She had to admit, she was surprised that a yokai lord such as himself had such a killer smile...

_'Bah! What am I thinking about that for?! Such a baka...!' _Shaking her head mentally, her blush quickly faded as she returned the smile as best she could.

Touga eyed the young woman before her thoughtfully, before he stood. He had not missed the red tint in her cheeks, and found it humorous she'd felt embarrassed. Perhaps he was being too friendly for a high-ranking yokai such as himself, but that mattered little to him. He was different from other yokai, and did not care if that was known. This girl appeared before him for a reason, and he will do whatever he can to make her feel comfortable while in his home.

Extending a hand, the dog general gave a fatherly smile at Kaname, who blinked naively at his gesture. "Come with me for a moment, Kururugi-san. I believe we need to talk."

Blinking, Kaname looked up at the dog general. It took her a moment to debate if this was okay, but only a moment. She soon reached up shyly, before placing her hand on his, allowing him to help her to her feet. As she did he gave her a genuine smile, which made her feel like she could trust him no matter what..._'I wonder what I'm in for this time...'_ Following after him, the young Shikigami user shuffled through her ideas of what this could be about.

~*~*~O~*~*~

In another part of the castle, Sesshoumaru was alone in his study, pacing across it like a nervous tiger seeking escape. No matter what he did, his beast's emotions kept surfacing, Kaname this, Kaname that. It was infuriating when it was the total opposite of what he wanted to be thinking about. But no, his beast just wouldn't let him drop it. It worried about these kyonshi who would be hunting her down; it worried about her emotional breakdown earlier; it wanted to protect her, above all else however. And that was just not in the cards right now. She was a _human. _It just wasn't allowed, completely unacceptable...

**_'And yet, we still desire her. Human or not, who cares? She has power, and she may be the only female out there who could stand up to us...as we saw before.'_**

****Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes as his beast chuckled at that, forcing him to recall her 'punch' earlier. _'That is enough. She's human, and therefore can only be with another human. When and if we take a mate, it will be a full-blooded demoness. Not some human girl...'_

_**'But you still desire her nonetheless. Or is that just me?'**_

****_'Yes. It is.'_

Movement outside his window caught his attention then, halting his pacing. As he glanced toward it, he silenced his beast for the moment, shoving it far down into the back corner of his mind. Hopefully it would stay there this time...at least long enough to give him a chance to sort out his own thoughts. However, the sight before him just wouldn't let that happen. His father, great Dog General of the Western lands, was taking the ningen out for a walk. This could only mean trouble for him, more then likely after the looks his father gave him earlier...

~*~*~O~*~*~

Hands folded in front of her, Kaname walked behind Touga with her head bowed some to the ground, a faint blush covering her cheeks as they walked past any guards or maids of the castle. She could feel their stares burning right through her, and she felt herself wanting to shrink away and hide. It was obvious the yokai here weren't too fond of her already, and now that their lord was going on a private walk with someone like her...well, that was something some of the yokai here probably didn't get to do. She just hoped that there wouldn't be any trouble from this...

But for now, the only thing she needed to worry about was the man before her. As she watched him, it was so odd to see how much he looked like his son, and yet personality-wise, they barely had anything in common...perhaps Sesshoumaru got his demeanor from his mother? And if so, why wasn't she here...

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you'd burned a hole in my back. It's a nasty habit my servants have, and I certainly hope it's not becoming contagious."

Kaname started with a jolt, yanked immediately from her thoughts as she focused on Touga, noting he had stopped and was giving her a playful smile. Clenching her hands some, she gave an apologetic smile back, "Gomen ne, I was thinking a bit too much apparently, I didn't realize I was staring that much..."

Touga waved his hand dismissively, "Do not worry, I only thought I would tease you since you seemed concerned about all the servants' stares earlier. And you can relax if you would like, Kururugi-san. No one is going to hurt you here. I want you to feel as if this was your home." He gave her a small smile, before turning his attention upward. She tried to follow his gaze, but he turned away too fast to face her once more before she could figure out what he'd seen. "Sesshoumaru told me he found you in the gardens before...around here, yes?"

Looking around, she was surprised to find he'd led her right to the large sakura tree she'd been under earlier that day, when she was trying to escape and calm down...

"...I'm sorry about earlier during our meeting. I shouldn't have left like I did...it was really rude of me to do that. I just...I don't know. I guess it was a bit scary, hearing I'm going to be...hunted now." Kaname looked down quietly, fear finding its way to sit in the pit of her stomach once more as her worries started anew.

The dog general's eyes softened slightly as he looked up at the large tree before him, taking in the blossoms. After finding the right words, he spoke up softly, but in a tone of voice that would hopefully be comforting...like a father talking to their child. "Kururugi-san, do not apologize for earlier. I was the one who pushed far too much at you at once. I backed you into a corner with nothing but fear and the threat of what may happen to you, giving you no other choice but to flee. Anyone faced with that amount of stress all at once would have done the same...so do not apologize again.

Now, my son told me he found you here earlier...may I ask why, of all the places on this estate, you came here?"

So, Sesshoumaru talked to him already. She figured he probably went straight to his father, but didn't realize he would tell him about where he found her as well. She looked at the tree that towered before her, her eyes growing soft as she remembered her home. "Well...I guess it reminded me of the sakura tree back home, in my village. I don't really know how I got here exactly, I just ran until I found it and it was the first place I stopped...I suppose it comforted me, seeing it. It reminded me of home..." Kaname trailed off quietly as memories bubbled up in her mind. To prevent herself from giving in to her emotions, she let out a small laugh while she looked down some wistfully, "I can never go home again, can I?"

Touga looked directly at Kaname as she asked this, his gaze firm. However, there was a softness there, out of the pity he seemed to feel for her situation. "I wish I could say otherwise...but for the time being, that just isn't an option for you..." He paused, eyes narrowing in concern. The faint scent of salt filled the air; unable to hold in her emotions and just laugh them off, a few stray tears slipped through Kaname's closed eyelids, down her face. At the sight before him, he felt his heart clench lightly, his beast rising up, wanting to hold her close to comfort her...however, as much as he wanted to give in to his beast's wish, he could not. As much as he wanted to help her, to drive off her tears, he still was the lord of these lands, and had to act as such...he couldn't just hold a young girl in tears whenever he wanted.

However, that wouldn't stop him entirely. Raising his left hand, he placed it on her shoulder, gripping it lightly. That was as much comforting as he could afford at the moment. It seemed to be enough, though. Her eyelids parted, revealing her grey-blue eyes that were still glistening from her tears as she looked up at him. She seemed to understand his gesture, and even managed to offer him a weak attempt at a smile. He returned her smile, as he spoke up, "Even if you cannot return home now, you are welcome to stay here as long as you wish. While here, you will be fully protected from the kyonshi...I will personally see to it that nothing harms you. Once I've figured out how to dispose of these creatures completely, I will return you home to your family though...I promise you that, Kururugi-san."

Kaname could tell that he wanted to do whatever he could to comfort her. It seemed that Sesshoumaru was right earlier when he said to be careful about crying around Inuyokai...they seemed to get a sort of protective instinct when they were around someone upset. It was nice though...she'd never really had a father, and Touga acted a lot like one may have. Even if she couldn't go home, she did feel safe with him...and his son. Even if the kyonshi were around, she felt as though everything would be alright here.

~*~*~O~*~*~

Well, finally got around to doing this after some inspiration finally. x.x Sorry for such slow updates, way too many things distract me nowadays...but I WILL finish this story if it's the last thing I do! For those that have been sticking with me as I write this, thank you so much for your support 3

I look forward to your R&Rs! ^^


	13. Chapter XII

**_Disclaimer: _**_None of the characters here are mine, but the ones I create. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi. :3_

~*~*~O~*~*~

Back in her room, Kaname sat on the edge of the windowsill quietly with her head in her hand. Glancing down at her lap, she eyed the old scroll Touga had given to her earlier in the garden...

_*Flashback*_

"Now, I meant to give this to you earlier. My son mentioned that you had already formed a guardian with your powers...I must say, that's quite an impressive feat." Touga smiled, genuine respect behind his words.

Waving her hands in front of herself dismissively, Kaname laughed quietly, "Oh, that? To be honest, it all happened so suddenly I don't remember much...but from what I can remember, it seemed to feel...natural. Like I had done it all my life..." She looked down thoughtfully then, remembering the iridescent koi that had come from her aura to help heal Sesshoumaru's wound from the kyonshi the other day.

Touga simply eyed her, nodding some. "In any case, I want you to have this scroll I found in the old archives. I've deciphered some of it, and it seems this was an old spell book of sorts where past Shikigami Masters wrote down the different spells and abilities of their powers...I think you could gain a lot from this knowledge, if you can figure out how to use it." Withdrawing the scroll from his sleeve, he offered it to the young onna before him, who accepted it carefully as she touched the old parchment.

"Thank you, m'lord...I'll try to see if I can learn anything from this..."

_*End flashback*_

Sighing, she moved to grasp the scroll's ends carefully as she moved it about in her hands. She hadn't opened it yet...she was, honestly, a bit nervous. This Shikigami business was still odd to her, and she had so much to learn...it was like she had to learn who she was. However, Touga had entrusted her with this information, and wanted her to learn how to use her powers so she wouldn't have an outburst like in the forest...a small frown graced her lips as she recalled the memory. The blood from Sesshoumaru's sword splattering across the ground, the concern in the recesses of his eyes as he tried to step towards her, the look of pain as he fell to the ground, the eyes of the kyonshi gleaming as it smirked at the blood oozing from the wound it had dealt...

Closing her eyes tightly, she shook her head to try to dispel of the memory. She still blamed herself for that wound he got...if he hadn't been distracted by how afraid she suddenly was of him, he wouldn't have gotten hurt. Honestly, she was afraid to use her powers again...maybe if she just stopped using them, they would go away, and the kyonshi would leave her alone and go away too...

But that was too easy, and she knew it. There was no way that would ever happen...and a part of her was glad. If she hadn't gotten these powers, she never would have caught the dog general's attention, and therefore Sesshoumaru would have never come for her. She would have never met Muso either, probably. The thought of missing out on meeting all these people saddened her, so even if her situation was life-threatening, it wasn't all bad.

The sound of footsteps approaching pulled Kaname from her piled-up thoughts, forcing her to look towards the shoji door to notice a familiar aura coming...Sesshoumaru. Without even noticing, a small smile formed on the young woman's face.

~*~*~O~*~*~

After witnessing his chichi-ue out in the gardens with Kaname, a part of the young heir worried if his father had said anything to the girl about...well, whatever he noticed about him earlier when he reported about letting her stay in her room. He certainly hoped he didn't say anything foolish to her...So, to quell these thoughts he decided to go to Kaname, to see if she would act any differently. That would be all he needed to tell if his father had meddled where he really, really shouldn't have.

As he found himself in the hallway that led to her room, however, the young Inu started to feel a bit uneasy...since returning, they hadn't really been alone together, unless you count when he tried to forcer her to see his father in an emotional state. Even though he felt fine, the stirrings within him by his beast were beginning to affect him as well...his beast seemed almost...eager to see her. Even though he didn't want to admit it, it disgusted him to say his beast had become rather fond of this..._ningen._ Why, of all the women out there, did it have to be a human girl his beast liked. Hell, he would have preferred some weak, sniveling demoness to this...option. It would have at least been acceptable to just ponder in the eyes of his fellow yokai, but this...this could very well strip him of his title and credibility.

Snapping back to reality, he realized he had stopped outside of the door, behind which awaited the onna he had thought of this entire time...damn his beast to hell. It made him think only of her...it was really starting to pollute his mind. Perhaps he should just dispose of her, before this 'illness' got any worse...

**_'And you know if you do that, chichi-ue will have your head...even if you could do it. Which is to say...you can't. Even though you don't want to admit it, you know you have the control to shut me out and ignore my influence. But, you just won't do that...meaning, a part of you aside from me also has an interest in this girl...and come now, you know she's more than just a human. She is a Shikigami user, and a powerful one at that! What more you ask for in a -'_**

****_'__**Silence.**__ That is more than enough of your lies, beast...be silent now.'_

And with that, his beast went silent. Eyes closed, Sesshoumaru's eyebrows had by then drawn down in irritation. He hadn't dealt with so many irritating thoughts at once before...why did he come to her again?

"Um...you can come in if you'd like."

Kaname's soft voice, which was laced with curiosity, immediately snapped him to the present. Enough thoughts, he was Sesshoumaru. He had never been bothered to ponder anything of this type before, and he wasn't about to start. There was nothing to ponder about some pathetic human girl. With a soft 'hmph', he slid open the shoji door and stepped into her room, closing the door behind him quietly.

Looking at her with the cool mask of indifference he was famous for, one wouldn't be able to tell he had just shoved aside a ton of inner turmoil as he dealt with his beast. Sliding his gaze around the room, his amber eyes finally settled on the girl before him, who was sitting on the windowsill. She smiled warmly at him as their eyes locked, causing that strange tightness in his heart he felt earlier...immediately he narrowed his gaze and ignored the feeling with distaste, turning his attention to the object she was rolling around in her hands.

"...What is that?"

The young woman may have smiled, but a familiar tightness was also filling her heart as soon as the Inuyokai entered the room. Earlier, she questioned if maybe he was starting to finally accept her and show her kindness...the look in his eyes and the small grimace as he eyed her coldly erased any thought of this change however. She wondered why he was looking at her like that...his gaze seemed colder than the night they first met. Shouldn't that have been when he was the most disgusted at her...human-ness? Her smile slowly faded as she let out a small sigh, a feeling of sadness at the loss of whatever sort of bond they had created up till now.

As she heard his words, she followed his gaze to the scroll in her hands, forcing herself to stop fiddling with it because it was probably distracting...or annoying to him. Either way, he probably didn't like it. "Oh, this? Touga-sama gave this to me earlier. He said it was some sort of scroll that has the written notes of previous Shikigami masters, and any spells or abilities they recorded within. He thought it might help me learn some new things, so that I can control my powers easier...

The image of his crimson-gold eyes and golden aura passed through her mind then, as she recalled when she lost control of her powers at Sesshoumaru's injury. Blinking, the image disappeared as soon as it had come.

The change in her emotions did not slip by the young heir unnoticed; he could smell it easily enough. It seemed his cold demeanor wasn't what she had expected, and it saddened her. Unfortunately for her, she needed to get used to it. This was who he was, and she needed to learn this fact fast. He wasn't some lovesick puppy who wanted to giver her any attention she wanted. He was the heir to the Western lands...and she was just a human. Regarding her with the same indifferent look, he spoke, "Hn. I see, so that's what he was doing earlier. You should open it and try to learn everything you can from it. You need to learn to control your abilities if you want to live." As he said this, he watched her eyes widen some, before her grasp on the scroll tightened lightly, a pitiful look all over her face...

He had heard and seen enough. This was obviously all they had discussed, and there was no more reason for him to be there. Turning on his heel, he slid the door open without another word, shutting it behind him with a firm click. His fingers lingered on the door, however...an unpleasant feeling welled-up within his stomach as he retracted his hand finally. Even though this was how he normally was with anyone, for some reason he felt like he may have hurt her with his last statement...something akin to regret clouded his mind, but he immediately disposed of the feeling. He only spoke the truth, and as she was now she would be useless, if she were somehow to be attacked...

The feeling in his gut lingered, however. Eyes narrowed dangerously, her forced himself to leave, before he did anything he would regret...

~*~*~O~*~*~

Sesshoumaru's words stung, even after he left. She knew she had a lot to learn, and a lot of things wanted to kill her for her soul...but she wasn't quite expecting him to say something like that so harshly...if seemed like it came out of the blue, like she did something to make him mad. Maybe he was upset at her punch earlier..?

No. There was more going on than just that...and then a thought occurred to her. Perhaps he felt that, by giving in to her request, he had shown a moment of weakness, and in doing so was giving in to a lowly human. This made a bit of sense to her now...after all, she kept forgetting he was Touga's son, and therefore the heir to the Western lands...a prince, if you will. And for a demon, even talking to a human like herself was probably seen as something less than respectable...

Did that mean she should stop talking to him? She felt like maybe she should try to avoid him, so that she wouldn't mar his reputation...the last thing she wanted to do was be a burden to him, after everything he'd done for her. At that thought though, she was filled with sadness...she didn't know what to do. To be honest, she really wanted to run out the door and chase him down, to try to talk to him to personally ask what she did to upset him...but that wouldn't help his situation, and would just be a terrible idea in general...

Wouldn't it?

~*~*~O~*~*~

And that's that! Sesshy is starting to realize his feelings for her, but it just isn't his nature to admit it, let alone act on it...and Kaname wants to just know what she did wrong, and how she can fix it.

Next chapter, Sesshy may finally act on his feelings when she comes to confront him...stick around to see if it's for the good or bad! Remember to R & R, I love reading reviews ^^


	14. Chapter XIII

**_Disclaimer: _**_None of the characters here are mine, but the ones I create. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi. :3_

~*~*~O~*~*~

Sesshoumaru closed his door behind him a bit more firmly then usual. He bowed his head some, so that his bangs cast a shadow over his face; his hand still gripped the door's handle. Making a conscious effort, he pulled his hand from the door. Without a thought, he suddenly cracked his knuckles and slammed his fist into the door, causing it to burst outward immediately as it splintered outwards. Unclenching his fist, he inhaled deeply through his nostrils to calm himself. Opening an eye, his amber gaze slid down at the destroyed doorway blankly. And then something broke through the cold, frozen gaze: pure hatred. Never, never had he lost control over his emotion like this. Never had he let his beast even get a _thought_ out, nor had he ever let it influence him. And never, _never _did he let himself feel so many emotions in his life...not even after his mother went to live on her own once she thought he was old enough to not need her anymore.

And all this, over some _stupid _human girl! Why? Why was it that he, the great Sesshoumaru, was so enthralled with some pitiful excuse for a Shikigami user. Why!

Feeling his rage start to build up again, he turned on his heels quickly and, without a sound, leapt from the balcony attached to his room into the gardens below, ignoring the maids who were coming to investigate what had happened...

~*~*~O~*~*~

Hand in her sleeves, Kaname couldn't help but chew her lip nervously as she made her way to Sesshoumaru's quarters. Thanks to her kind maid, she had decent directions so she would hopefully avoid getting lost. A part of her knew this would probably just make him even more upset with her, but she couldn't help it...she had to know what she did to make him change like that.

A sudden loud crashing noise as wood hit wood hit her ears then, making her forget whatever she had been thinking about. If her directions were correct, that sound had come from Sesshoumaru's quarters...

Without another thought, Kaname felt herself start running towards her destination...

When she arrived, the sight before her surprised her, to say the least. Before her was indeed Sesshoumaru's room, however, it was...very open to say the least. The splinters and torn screens before her must have been what was left of his shoji door, that looked like it had been knocked right out of the wall, considering the destruction. Worry filled her eyes and crept onto her face as she looked up, and noted that there was no sign of the younger Inu to be found. Hearing the sound of footsteps approaching, she guessed the maids and guards were on their way to see what had happened.

She didn't have time to deal with this, or any questions they might have for her. Turning quickly, she made her way to the nearest exit, so she could try and find Sesshoumaru...nothing was clear to her except for her worry.

~*~*~O~*~*~

In the meantime, Sesshoumaru had managed to find himself in front of the sakura tree. He leveled a glare at the tree, a small part of him wondering why he was drawn here of all places...where _her _scent was still fresh from her time spent with his chichi-ue.

So many emotions were swirling around in his mind, he didn't even know where to begin to sort them out...

The faint sounds of footsteps and the scent of sweat and worry soon filled his senses. All of his thoughts vanished as he stared blankly at the tree before him. It was Kaname. She must have heard his outburst, and she came looking for him. Since she got here so fast, he could only assume she had run all the way around the perimeter of the castle to get here, to avoid the guards and maids that were more than likely trying to fix his door now. She came all this way, just to find him...why was she so concerned about him?

"Finally! Sesshoumaru-sama, are you alright?" Coming to a stop, she panted lightly at the run she'd just pulled off. This place didn't seem that big until you ran around the front half of it!

Sliding his amber gaze to look at her out of the corner of his eye, he remained silent. Gave her nothing more than a cold, empty stare.

At his look, she frowned a bit. So, he was mad at her...for something. She just wasn't sure what. There were a lot of things, but nothing he'd ever acted on up till now. So maybe her thoughts from earlier weren't too far off...that maybe he was doing this because a part of him forgot she was human, and that part just remembered and he decided he needed to act coldly with her again. Since that would be the normal thing for him to do in his position.

This thought made her heart twist painfully. Somehow, a part of her thought that maybe whatever sort of bond they'd developed, it had progressed when he allowed her to stay in her room. But now...it felt like that was just a dream now. This was the real Sesshoumaru...and she hated it. Clenching her fists, her eyebrows drew down as she started to speak, "Sesshoumaru...I get you're the heir to these lands...and I know you have an image to maintain. But for a while there, you seemed...different. You actually made me believe you might tolerate me, and even had an inkling of respect for me...but now, you're acting colder than you did the night we first met. Way colder, actually...and you almost seem mad at me," as she paused, she looked directly into his eyes, pain and confusion clear in her grey-blue eyes, "Why..? What did I do to make you hate me so much like this? Did I do something to offend you..? If I did, please...tell me how I can fix it!"

"Enough." Looking down at no particular spot on the ground, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes as he spoke, "You have done nothing. You are just a human, and this Sesshoumaru simply remembered how he should _treat _a ningen like yourself. Whatever you thought, forget it at once...I have no respect for you. I just simply owed you a debt for healing my wound in the forest. That is all." Even as he spoke, he could feel his beast's rage growing at what he had just said. He knew what he said would hurt her, and good. She needed to back off anyway. Shikigami user or not, she was still human, and she should know just as much as he that any interest in a demon like himself would only end poorly...for both of them.

If that was the case though, why did his heart, usually so devoid of any feeling, suddenly hurt?

At his words, any strength Kaname had felt to face him simply disappeared. So, that was it...he had only respected her request because of his debt. Her heart clenched painfully as sadness filled it, and she looked to the ground, defeated.

However, even though she wanted to just back away and leave, she couldn't. For some reason, her feet wouldn't move...in fact, they seemed to want her to move toward him, even after the horrible things he had said. Kaname looked up slightly then, and noticed something. His left hand...there was blood on it! In fact, as she eyed it with more focus, she noticed a small piece of wood sticking out...Then that meant he was the one who destroyed his door earlier. Did that mean he was...upset? Was he upset with himself for something?

The young woman then recalled how he had lingered outside her door before he left. Did he, Sesshoumaru, maybe regret what he had said..? Did some part of him not mean it?

At these thoughts, she could feel her resolve growing once more. Even if it was probably all just in her head...there was still that possibility. Taking a deep breath, Kaname took a few steps toward the dog demon in front of her, but stopped when he opened his eyes to glance at her coolly. Clenching her right hand into a fist she reached up slowly, taking another step. She decided to speak up then, quietly, "U-um...your hand...are you -"

"Don't. I do not need to repay another debt to you, girl...leave." His tone was cold, but she could hear something else there...but what was it? There was also something deep in his eyes, but she couldn't make that out either...what was going on? Taking another step, she was now only a couple feet from him. Reaching out, she could almost touch his hand as a faint blue aura started to emit from her own...

But then she felt a sharp pain on her right arm. Blinking, Kaname looked down to see the source, just to be greeted by a tear clean through her sleeve, deep into her arm where blood was now starting to seep out quickly. Stumbling back, she gripped her arm, any trace of her healing aura now gone. Looking up, she just happened to catch Sesshoumaru's sleeve falling back to his side. Looking at his hand, she saw new blood coating his claws...hers. Like a wild animal trapped in a corner, he had struck out at her.

Inhaling, trying not to be afraid but failing miserably, she took only one more step back before she stiffly bowed forward, her bangs casting a shadow across her face. Through gritted teeth, she shakily spoke, "Forgive me for my impudence. I won't do it again..." And with that, she turned on her heels and fled, running as fast as she could while still clutching onto her wound.

~*~*~O~*~*~

Kaname wasn't running for too long before she found herself in a section of the castle she'd never been too before. Not that something like that really mattered to her at the moment. Still clutching her arm tightly, she vaguely noticed the dull pain as her blood started to ooze from between her fingers. But even that didn't matter to her now. All she could feel, as she stared down at the floor before her with empty eyes, was hurt. Sesshoumaru really had meant what he said...that he only had shown her kindness because of his 'honor'. Not because he actually wanted to be kind to her. A part of her knew that, ever since the beginning, that was how it should have been. That she couldn't really expect him to be kind to her, because he _clearly_ loved humans so much. But still...she had only wanted to find out what was wrong, and heal his wound if she could...was that really so bad? Was that deserving of an attack? Not just a physical one, but an emotional one?

Closing her eyes, she leaned against the nearest wall, sliding down it slowly until she was sitting on the cool stone floor. Biting her lower lip, she begged herself not to cry...she was already viewed by many here as weak more than likely, and didn't want to prove them right...Even if she did feel like her heart was crushed by disappointment.

So enthralled with her inner turmoil, she didn't notice the approaching aura making its way towards her, the one behind it smirking darkly at their find...

~*~*~O~*~*~

Here's chapter 13 for TIME! I hope you're all enjoying it so far, and I am really glad I have the time to post all these chapters. :) I hope the intense emotions aren't too bad, really want people to feel this.

On to writing the next chapter, just remember to Rate and Review. I love reading those. ^^


	15. Chapter XIV

_**Disclaimer: **__None of the characters here are mine, but the ones I create. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi. :3_

~*~*~O~*~*~

"You...bastard..!" The kyonshi yelped pathetically as it was cut down, disintegrating from the poison attack. Touga huffed in an irritated manner, the golden glow of his poison leaving his claws. Glancing around, Touga had slain about ten of the creatures...and he could still smell more. There didn't seem to be an end to them. Sighing quietly, he turned to look up at the clear skies. He needed to know...where did these creatures come from, and who was controlling them? And how could he protect Kaname from them..? This thought in mind, he flicked his claws clean, before making his way back to the castle.

~*~*~O~*~*~

Bored, the adolescent dragon yokai meandered around the dog's castle, hoping to find something interesting to keep him entertained enough to not start killing the servants...oh wait, this wasn't home. Unfortunately, this place had different rules...he couldn't kill the servants as he pleased, because he might get in 'trouble'...ruining the peace treaty and all that.

Takaryu grimaced at that. Why did his father even care about some stupid peace treaty with stupid dogs? He hated the fact that they were even considered yokai, let alone having one as a Daiyokai. They were just dogs...probably mindless when in their true forms, and he bet they tailed after humans like normal dogs...like pets. That image made him smirk. Alas, he would probably never get to see something like that. Nothing here was that interesting.

Just then, a new scent hit the dragon..._'Wait...this putrid stench...is that a human? Here?' _A dark smirk crossed Takaryu's face; it seemed he had found his entertainment.

~*~*~O~*~*~

Looking up, the guards of the Lord of the West picked up a very familiar scent - it seemed that their Lord was returning from his outing. Shouting orders amongst themselves, they began to open the gates for Touga, welcoming him home as he stepped through the entrance.

As the gates closed behind him, the older Inu stopped in his tracks. His eyebrows drew down as he looked toward the castle, something catching his attention as soon as he walked in - the scent of blood. His chest tightened as a thought crossed his mind: he'd left Kaname alone here, and he wasn't entirely sure who he could trust not to hurt her, for being a human. Narrowing his eyes, he bolted forward, going to the first place he'd scented the blood...

~*~*~O~*~*~

Ever since Kaname had run away, Sesshoumaru hadn't moved a muscle. His body wouldn't let him...the strong scent of her blood and tears seemed to have immobilized him. A sick feeling welled up inside of him, seeming to come from the beast part of his mind. No matter how he felt...how he **told** himself to feel, his beast rioted, pure rage at what he had done. The girl had simply tried to heal him, and in his mixed-state of emotions, he had harmed her. He had raised his claws to her, and he had slashed through her arm - possibly even hitting something vital. For all he knew, she could be dying from that wound...

No. If that was the case, he would have known by now. He wouldn't be able to smell her anymore, or sense her aura. And he was sure the castle would be in a chaotic state by now if there was a dead human girl laying around.

Golden eyes without luster gazed down as a clawed hand was raised, inspecting the wood imbedded in it, and all of the blood. He noted that his wound was already healing, skin rebuilding itself even around the wood that had caused the injury. The blood however, did not disappear. Blankly, he reached up and ripped the splintered wood from his hand, watching as blood oozed out slowly before stopping, the healing process beginning already. Torn muscles and veins quickly rebuilt themselves, blood clotted to stop any more blood loss, and skin formed across the wound until there was only the blood on his skin left. By this point, some of the blood had seeped to his claws, where it mingled with Kaname's. Human blood, mixing with the blood of a yokai...

Something flickered in the back of his mind faintly, but before he had a chance to figure it out, he could smell a very familiar person rushing towards him, closing the distance quickly. Snapping out of his thoughts, the young Inu turned from his hand to look up as the Dog General strode to a halt before him, fully armored with the scent of the kyonshi on him.

After tracking down the scent of the blood, Touga was both surprised and angry to find that it led him to his son. Glancing around the scene, he could still smell the fresh scent of tears and blood that could only belong to Kaname. And the majority of the scent of the blood was coming from none other than his own son's hands.

Anger welled up within the Daiyokai then as his eyebrows drew down dangerously, his lips curling into a scowl that demanded answers. Firmly, Touga spoke to his son, "Explain yourself. Now."

Sesshoumaru failed to hide the flicker of emotion in his eyes as he looked his father in the eye, knowing he was going to regret what he'd done. Hell, he felt himself regretting it before his father had even arrived. Between his own scrambled emotions and the rage of his beast, he could only feel what he had done was wrong...and that there would be dire consequences for him.

Inhaling deeply and bangs casting a shadow across his face, Sesshoumaru tried hard to ignore the strong scent of Kaname's blood as he spoke, words hard to find, "The onna...she pressed the matter of being near, even after I explicitly made it clear that I wanted her to leave me be. She pressed the issue, and I...responded."

**'**_**Tried to **_**kill**_** her, more like.'**_

By the deepening of his scowl, it was as though his father had heard what his beast had said. Not that what he had said wasn't enough to cause it. Sesshoumaru expected something, but not what his father did next. The older Inu closed his molten, anger-filled eyes, his scowl softened to a frown, and he exhaled from his nose deeply as he shook his head. Turning away from his son, the Inutaisho's words were quiet, but bitter disappointment laced every word, "So you raised your claws to a young girl. The one that I ordered you, specifically, to protect. You let whatever feeling you are experiencing cloud your mind so much, that it blinded you. So much so, you lost sight of your duty. I have no punishment for you, only disappointment in your actions, my foolish son. Besides - I'm sure the damage you've caused to the bond between you and Kaname is punishment enough.

"I leave you to whatever you decide. Either control your emotions and act as the heir you are, or find another way to express them. Lashing out and harming the one you were instructed to protect is obviously not the right way."

Sesshoumaru felt as the his stomach had dropped. He had always felt as though he needed to prove himself to his father: to prove he would be an excellent heir, that he would one day be on equal footing with him, that he was an heir to be proud of. Knowing, _hearing_ that his chichi-ue was so angry that he could not even punish him for his actions, only word his disappointment, made the young Inu feel as though he'd lost his father's respect.

Being strung up and beaten would have been a better punishment than that.

With his father's last words, Sesshoumaru was suddenly taken aback. His emotions? And everything else he had said...had his father picked up on the inner struggle the past day he had been having, his mini war with his inner beast about the girl..?

Of course he did. His father, the powerful Inu-no-Taisho, knew all. And he knew his son the best. Sickened, Sesshoumaru could only look down, silvery bangs completely hiding his face as shame filled him. Shame, and disgust with himself. For allowing himself to have emotions, he had failed to follow his father's orders, had hurt the one he was ordered to protect, and let himself fall into such a low state...

This was why emotions were such an annoyance. This is why he had tried to do away with them as soon as his mother had left them. They only caused unsavory situations like this. So why was it he had let a human girl get under his skin like this..?

Sesshoumaru could only clench his hands as his father turned from him completely, striding off to find the injured Kaname before someone else did.

~*~*~O~*~*~

Goodness, it's been so long since I've posted. I'm so sorry, I'm a horrible person ; A; I don't know why, I was so inspired, and then I just kinda got side-tracked, and yeaaaah. Again, I'm sorry! I promise to try to update more often from now on, especially from all the nice messages I've been getting. Knowing people want to read more of my work, I feel I need to do this, at least for them. :) I WILL finish this story, that's a promise.

Anyway, thanks again if you read this still, and please R&R. I really love reading them, they make me want to keep writing. 3


	16. Chapter XV

_**Disclaimer: **__None of the characters here are mine, but the ones I create. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi. :3_

~*~*~O~*~*~

Takaryu was finally approaching the one he had scented earlier - the human girl. Wicked smirk in place yet, he strode down the hall like he owned it, heading straight for his target. As he approached, he noticed some other scents mingling with hers - salt and blood. This intrigued him even more as he sped up just a touch, a bit of dark excitement flowing up his spine as she came into sight. A pathetic one, at that: she was slumped to the floor against the wall in a rather improper manner, and some blood had pooled beneath her as well. Her hair was covering her face, which looked wet. Takaryu wondered if that was from something called 'crying'. It was a foreign term to him, but from what he gathered that was what it looked like she was doing. Pitiable. Very much so, but that also meant she would be vulnerable. Toys were much more fun if there was a risk of breaking them.

He stopped, not a foot from the weeping girl. He waited a moment to see if she would notice him, wanting to see the fear on her face as she looked up at a yokai. It took a minute, but just as he was about to get impatient, she surprised him by speaking up, her eyes still locked on her lap, "Please, just go away...I want to be alone. I'm sorry..."

Takaryu raised an eyebrow. Leave her alone? That would take away a lot of fun, and would be a wasted effort on his part. She needed to understand that. His grin widened as he narrowed his violet eyes dangerously at the girl, his voice lined with venom, "Well, that would be a waste of my seeking you out, now wouldn't it, little ningen? You should be far more careful, bleeding like that and making _such _a scene...you are in a castle full of yokai, after all. You could really get _hurt..._"

Kneeling, he chuckled as she finally looked up, wary-fear within her glassy grey-blue eyes. Reaching out, he raked his claws over her face, down her neck, stopping just above the edge of her under kimono. He chuckled as fear became evident in her eyes now, her breath hitching when a bit of blood was drawn where he had traced his path. His words were silky, as though this pleased him, to draw blood, "My my, what a fragile thing ningens are...I barely even touched you, and you bleed beneath my claws. You won't last long like that..." However, his words were cut off as a strange scent hit his nose then. His sense of smell may not be as powerful as the Inu's, but it was strong enough to tell him something was off about this girl.

Her fear seemed to turn into something else, and a new scent filled the air around her. Suddenly, something like a static shock hit his claws where they lay against the base of her neck, making his grin pull into a look of confusion. The shocking persisted, until finally he had to pull his hand back. Looking at his hand, he scowled when he saw small scorch marks on his fingers. Shooting a dark glare at Kaname, his next words were dripped with irritation, "What did you do to me, little ningen?" Takaryu watched as small sparks seemed to come to life, showing up across her entire body now. Her eyes were now devoid of her fear, and now appeared defensive as she held her good arm to her chest.

Narrow eyebrows drawn down, she shakily stood up, pressed as close to the wall as she could away from the yokai before her. Kaname swallowed reflexively, trying to get rid of the fear she'd felt a moment ago. First Sesshoumaru, and now whoever this was? By the scale markings on his cheeks and forehead, she guessed he would be some sort of lizard yokai...by his appearance, he may even be a Dragon yokai from the East.

But that didn't matter to Kaname in the slightest. Not only had he hurt her on purpose, but he'd come way to close to the edge of her kimono...that did **not **sit well with her.

The sparks had now turned into a full-fledged aura, one that enveloped her entire body. It wavered slightly, causing her to wince, but determination filled her eyes as her cheeks tinted a light pink from being embarrassed and upset by this jerk. She'd be damned if he just got away with calling her a toy and messing with her like that. Uneasy rage settled within Kaname as her aura grew more solid, any sign of the wavering ceasing, even with her condition. She was running on sheer will-power and embarrassed-anger. Clenching her good hand tightly, Kaname said in a stern tone, "I don't care who you think you are - _don't_ touch me, and just back off. I'm a powerful Shikigami user, and I'll burn you to a crisp if you don't leave me alone!" Okay, that last part was a bit of a stretch, she had to admit. But he didn't know that. Even as she spoke though, she felt her aura get stronger...

A scowl graced Takaryu's lips. What he thought would just be a fun, quick stress-relief causing playtime with this little human had turned into something much more annoying. He didn't get what was up with her aura, until she finally spoke up. Her words were bold, and very stupid, serving to annoy him only further. Violet eyes narrowing dangerously, the Dragon yokai stood up to his full height, making him 2 heads taller then Kaname. His pupils dilated as he debated on how to kill her when the last sentence she said clicked. A Shikigami user? He'd only heard rumors of them, and thought they all were killed off years ago because of their own weakness. So she was supposedly one? Interesting...that bit of knowledge may do him some good back home - meaning he couldn't kill her. Ah well, if she was still around, surely there were others...and that meant he could kill the little wench. Smirking, his features dark, he ignored the glow from her hand as he released a dagger from a hidden slit in his kimono's sleeve, deciding he would use it to fillet her.

A large presence was suddenly behind him, but before he could even fully turn around to see what it was, he felt an iron grip around his neck as he was wrenched skyward, a few feet off the ground. Snarling, his violet eyes shot open to look down at the source of this newest irritation, only to have him grow quiet, rage barely contained, "Lord Touga...what is this?"

Touga's amber eyes narrowed venomously at the Dragon prince in his grip, his strong fingers tightening into a vice grip around the young yokai's airway. A very serious expression on his face, he scowled as he spoke, "I could ask you the same thing, Takaryu. You come to my home to sign a peace treaty continuation, and I find you not a few hours afterward trying to kill one of my guests. You have a lot of nerve...or you are just more foolish then I thought. Do you recall what a peace treaty entails?" When he was only greeted by a glare, he continued, "It means you do **not** come to my home under the façade you want peace, then turn around and try to kill someone under my own roof." As he spoke, his grip tightened until Takaryu finally seemed to submit, a small strangled noise and his look faltering the only indication. Closing his eyes, he released his grip very suddenly, causing Takaryu to drop to the floor unceremoniously, sputtering as he tried to get air back into his lungs.

As he did so, Touga stepped around him without a word. Looking upon Kaname, he noticed her determination and anger fizzle out in his presence, but the fear from earlier seemed to remain. Eyes softening fractionally, he reached toward her, a pang in his heart as she winced from him. Letting air escape his nose in a sigh, he placed his hand on her head, an attempt to try to calm her. The red aura surged up and licked at his arm, trying to drive him off, but he ignored it. Looking directly at her face now to search for her eyes, he spoke up, firmly, but kind, "Kaname, you must stop this. You know I mean you no harm...I know my son and this yokai have put you through a lot, but I'm here now. I will not let them harm you again, so you may recall your Shikigami - there's nothing for you to fight here." Even as he spoke, the fiery aura of her Shikigami continued to lash out, trying to hurt him in some way to get him away. But he withstood it, ignoring it in order to reach Kaname.

In the end it seemed to work, because soon after her Shikigami aura started to grow smaller around her, causing him less discomfort. It took a bit, with her weakened state, but finally she was able to suppress her aura as she returned to normal, albeit a bit strained from exerting herself that much. Eyes opening, she turned her wary gaze to the older Inu before her, his stern features revealing a bit of warmth and worry through his golden eyes. Those same eyes looked at her with such hatred earlier...

**No. **That was his son, Sesshoumaru. Touga was different...he would not hurt her. Would he?

Her emotions a wreck, not knowing what to feel about any of this, tears started to stream down her face anew, before she was able to hide her face behind her kimono sleeve. She felt her legs start to shake as she got weaker again from the adrenaline wearing off, but Touga did not let her fall. His hand grasped her good arm lightly up by her shoulder, and through that he kept her upright, close to him as he stepped in front of her protectively. Eyes growing firm once more, he turned his attention back to Takaryu, who had by this point moved to sit against the wall across from them, a snarky smirk on his face.

"So, you're harboring a little ningen girl. One that just _happens_ to be a Shikigami user? You're full of secrets, aren't you old dog?"

Touga shirked off that comment. "Hn. I believe you have overstayed your welcome, Takaryu. It would seem there's much more to discuss now with your father, lord Ryuumaru...you've created quite a problem here."

Takaryu spat irritatedly, "Feh, like it matters. A lot of things are changing, Inu no Taisho...you just haven't realized it yet." With that, he stood up unceremoniously, wiping his mouth clear from the blood he spat from almost having his airway crushed.

As he started to leave, he stopped to turn, an odd glint in his eye, "Ah, yes. One more thing. Little Shikigami girl? I would be _very _careful from now on. Revealing yourself like this may have been the most unwise decision you've ever made. Ta ta~." And with that, he skulked out of the castle and was enveloped in a black cloud, leaving without a trace.

Touga felt worry creep down his spine at Takaryu's words. He knew something...and he had a feeling it was more then just about the peace treaty that was more then likely about to fall apart. Which in itself was unthinkable, since he and the other three lords were specifically chosen to rule, because they would be able to keep peace between the yokai of all the nations.

Glancing behind him at the shivering form of the girl he was trying to protect, he got a feeling that even here, she would be in danger. Someone outside of his trust now knew about her, and it was only a matter of time before the kyonshi did something about it. Glancing out the nearby window to the sky, he watched the white clouds drift by lazily. It was likely Kaname would not be able to experience a peace like that for a while, not until the kyonshi and whatever had happened with Takaryu were sorted out. Until then, he would have to do whatever he could to protect her...he needed all the trustworthy help he could get with that, as well.

He hoped Sesshoumaru would sort himself out soon, he needed his son by his side, and by Kaname's, now more then ever...

~*~*~O~*~*~

And here's the next chapter! Told you I'd get it up (relatively) soon. =D I hope you enjoyed this one, this is kinda the turning point for the story, where things will start to progress and get a bit more interesting. I debated a lot where I was going with this, and how I was going to do it, and think this is the best choice for this story.

Next chapter will have Sesshy back in it, and hopefully he'll suck it up and make up with Kaname lol. Until then, R&R like always, my lovely followers! Take care~


	17. Chapter XVI

_**Disclaimer: **__None of the characters here are mine, but the ones I create. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi. :3_

~*~*~O~*~*~

Kaname eyed her bandages thoughtfully. It was just about time they come off... After all, it had already been a week since the incident with the dragon-yokai prince, Takaryu. For some reason though, she was wary of having the bandages removed...what if she'd scarred? What if they weren't fully healed...and she got to see the wound Sesshoumaru caused again? She closed her eyes, and laid down on her futon, holding her arm lightly. During this week, she'd only seen the young Inu once, and she could barely bring herself to look at him. She was scared, she admitted it...and she _hated_ it. Before she'd looked away, Kaname had caught a glimpse into those naturally-cold golden orbs of his. And what she saw surprised her, and haunted her even now...behind that cold mask, in those eyes of his, she was sure she saw something: pain. He looked almost hurt, when she looked at him. Even after she'd turned away from him to leave, she felt his eyes on her the entire time. Maybe he wanted to say something to her...maybe he wanted to apologize?

She clenched her jaw tightly. _'Apologize...as if. He'd never let his pride get hurt like that. He probably enjoyed hurting me...' _Even as she thought it though, she had a feeling that wasn't true at all. Not like she could prove it, though.

A light rapping at her door pulled Kaname from her thoughts and back to reality. Sitting up, she eyed the door as her assigned maid Sara came into the room. The young demoness bowed before entering the room, and brought with her a small kit...most likely what would be used to remove her bandages. Reluctantly, Kaname peeled back her kimono and kosode, revealing the bandages on her right arm and on her neck. She unconsciously turned her head away as Sara cut away the bandages, afraid of whatever her imagination was expecting to be there.

Once she was done carefully cutting them away, the young black Inu picked up the bandage-scraps and turned to go, bowing curtly before closing the door behind her. Warily, Kaname looked over to her arm, wondering what might be there. She let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding when she saw her wound was perfectly healed up. No scar, no scary reminder of what happened...just new skin. Touching her neck lightly, one glance in the mirror told her it was the same there, too. Smiling a little, she found herself relieved she didn't have any physical reminders of last week. Maybe now, she could put it all behind her...

~*~*~O~*~*~

Touga eyed his son, who stood before him in his study. Raising a feathered eyebrow, he let that signal he wanted the boy to talk. After all, Sesshoumaru was the one who had walked in un-announced all of a sudden. Hopefully, he at least had something to say. It took a bit, but the young Inu finally spoke up after what looked like some conflicted thoughts had bothered him.

"Chichi-ue. There's something I need to ask you about...it's about the Shikigami user," glancing up at his father, he noted he looked curious, so he continued, "I've been informed she's healed now, from her...injuries. Including the ones from Takaryu. I'm curious, have we figured out why he attacked her - if he had any motive behind what he told you?"

The dog general propped his head on his linked hands that he had propped on the desk before him, thoughtful. He recalled the events his son asked about - Takaryu looking as though he was going to kill Kaname, how he had stepped in and threatened the young Dragon yokai, and his parting words...How things were 'changing' that he hadn't noticed, and about how Kaname revealing she was a Shikigami user to him was an unwise decision. What did he know? Perhaps it was unwise to let him leave without further questioning...

Letting out an exasperated sigh, he closed his golden eyes before talking, his tone holding an inkling of irritation, "All I know is that that bastard knows something, I just don't know what yet. Considering what he told Kaname though, I'm starting to wonder if it has anything to do with the Kyonshi attacks...I hope not, but I'm left to ponder if he has anything to do with them."

Sesshoumaru felt his chest tighten at his father's words. Did that mean that Kaname was in danger? Were the Kyonshi, those vile undead mountain dogs, going to come after her, even here? And was Takaryu controlling them?

No, he needed to stop. He needed to stop worrying over this little, pathetic, helpless human girl...but the more he told himself that, the more his beast rebelled, and the more he was starting to feel...protective? Maybe that wasn't right...possessive?

The young Inu growled internally. His thought process was even being disrupted just by thinking about _her._ When was this hell going to end? He'd already pushed her away, hurt her, and she hated him. That look the other day had said everything.

And yet, he couldn't help but feel the urge to do..._something._ He couldn't place what though, and he refused what his beast offered as an answer. Apologizing...it wasn't going to happen. He had too much pride for that...and he needed to stand his ground. If he didn't, then attacking her would have been for nothing...no matter what his beast said, he couldn't bring himself to apologize to her, to try to get back that borderline...camaraderie they'd had back in the forest. When they were alone together, surrounded by the Kyonshi...

He shook his head. Whatever he was thinking, he needed to stop. It was a path not worth venturing down...no matter what he wanted. And at this point, he knew he wanted nothing...only his beast sought something more. Right?

As Touga opened his eyes, they fell onto his son who was watching him intently, slim eyebrows drawn down into a look of almost-concern. It almost made him chuckle, to see his son worked up like this, since it wasn't very common for his son to have _any_ emotion. Perhaps his beast still hadn't let go of whatever emotions it had toward the girl...this could be useful. Sitting up straight, he tapped a clawed hand to the desk once he had his thoughts together. "With that said, there's something I need you to do..."

~*~*~O~*~*~

"Milady, you have a summons from Lord Touga. He requires you in the Western courtyard as soon as you are dressed to leave your room."

Kaname looked up from her kimono she was currently fixing. Touga had a new kimono prepared for her to wear, after her old one was torn by Sesshoumaru. It wasn't a terribly difficult patch, but he seemed rather insistent she take his gift. She'd humored him at the time, however, that didn't mean she would leave her kimono to rot. Her maid's announcement seemed rather important though, so it seemed her kimono would have to wait. Smiling some, she nodded to acknowledge her maid Sara's words as she set aside her work, "Alright, just give me a moment and I'll be right there." Standing, she had Sara close her door, and found what clothes she needed to get changed.

~*~*~O~*~*~

After getting dressed and making her way to the Western courtyard as instructed, Kaname was _really_ glad she'd come a little prepared. She had an odd feeling about this summons, so she had decided to bring her Shikigami spell-scroll with her. It was tucked away in her sleeve's hidden pocket, and even though it was light, it suddenly felt a bit heavier.

Before her, Touga stood in front of what looked like a dojo. However, there was a lot...different about this one. For starters, there was no roof, or walls, or really much of anything to be honest. It was very...open. The only notable things it **did** have was a hand-crafted floor, some practice dummies set up in a line, and some weapon racks filled with different wooden practice weapons. She also noted it was surrounded by a miniature bamboo forest...it made for quite a lovely setting. For a training grounds, anyway.

Looking away from their surroundings, Kaname turned her attention on the Inu before her, who had a kind look on his face. It took her aback, to see his features so...soft. Maybe he was happy here, in this training area. She wondered briefly if this was where he felt most at home at, before she cleared her thoughts to prepare for whatever he had in store for her. Her voice was almost timid when she finally spoke up, "Touga-sama, I got your summons...what's this about?"

Touga flashed a fanged-grin at her question, before he answered, "I'm glad to see you back on your feet fully, young one. Now, I'm sure you've noticed the training area behind me, yes? I believe you've had enough time to adjust to being in a castle full of yokai, so it's now time to put you to a little test...by that scent, I take it you brought your Shikigami spell-scroll with you?" When she flushed in surprise and nodded, he continued, "Good. You're going to need that for today. You may be able to use your Shikigami to a decent extent now, but you get exhausted far too quickly, and you spread your aura too thinly, causing you to get tired at a faster pace. With practice, you'll get used to your own aura, and your Shikigami will become a part of you. It's a bit like yokai and our jyaki...accept we learn our own powers and limits as children, so we can defend ourselves efficiently at a young age. Now, it's time to train you..." Touga's grin vanished then as his face slipped back to its usual stern expression. However, the kindness was still there, in his molten orbs. His tone was firm when he spoke, "It's no question that you are in very real danger now. The incident with Takaryu has made that evident, as well as the Kyonshi attacks you've already been through. Even if I'm not there to protect you, I want to be confident you can handle whatever you face long enough until I get there...or Sesshoumaru, for that matter. I'm hoping this training will help with that. Is it alright if we begin now, Kaname-san?"

Kaname was taken aback by everything Touga had said. Her hand clenched tightly over her chest, fear starting to creep its way up her spine at the mention of Takaryu and the Kyonshi. The last sentence he said snapped her out of her fear, and she shook her head to rid herself of it. He was right, she needed to start to _really_ learn what it was, to be a Shikigami user. She needed to be able to defend herself, without killing herself in the process. Starting as soon as possible seemed perfect, and her tone was filled with the resolve she'd found, "Yes!"

A smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth, the Inu Daiyokai nodded assertively, "Very well then. Just step onto the floor, and we'll begin."

~*~*~O~*~*~

Finally having shut up his beast for what felt like the hundredth time that day, Sesshoumaru wearily rubbed his forehead. He could almost feel the lines forming on his forehead, from all the stress and irritation he'd felt the past week. Huffing through his nose shortly, he glanced irritably at his surroundings. With barely a glance, he discovered he'd found himself back in the gardens...Sesshoumaru really had to fight to push down all the memories that were trying to rear their ugly heads. But no matter how he fought, the ugliest head of them all made itself _very_ known within his conscience.

_**'What was once your favorite spot in this place has now become your most hated...Interesting, seems I don't even have to do much. You get bothered by the girl aaaall on your own.'**_

Sesshoumaru fought the urge to roll his eyes. Oh joy, this again. _'Haven't you beaten that dead horse enough? It's almost depressing, having such a repetitive other-half. I never thought myself to be boring, or childish. Seems you're trying your damndest to prove me wrong.'_

_**'Ha! If it was beaten enough, I would have stopped by now, and you know it. I'm referred to as a 'beast' for a reason - if there's something I want, I will take it. And if I am not in control, then I need to convince my other-half to take it for me, to give in to the bestial...urges, as you refer to them. I assure you though, they aren't just urges out of boredom...you know better then that. It's a desire, a need. And I'm sure you feel it too.'**_

_'Really now, a need? I am a yokai, I have no needs. Especially nothing a simple girl from a low-class life, a __**human**__ life, could ever provide me. Aside from perhaps servantry, but I'd just find a decent demoness for that.'_

_**'Stop kidding yourself, you fool. If I have the desire, you KNOW you do too. Why try so hard to deny it, just because she's a human? You seem to forget, she's not just any ordinary human. She's a Shikigami user, and from the looks of it, one with a lot of power behind her...perhaps even enough to match a yokai. With enough training, she could be our equal...'**_

_'Hn. I'm finding it harder to take you seriously. Equal? What a joke...'_

_**'Then have this to think over, fool. You keep taking my words at face value, and are ignoring the fact that I'm the beast part of you. My needs are far simpler than yours...so stop over thinking them. When I say I have a need of this girl, it's not in some bestial manner. THAT, would be an urge...a nice one too, although not what I want in this case. All I want is her. To be around her, to watch her while she's under our sire's protection. She intrigues me, being something we've never seen before. I want to learn more, and see what she becomes with training. I sensed a great deal of power hidden in her, back when you had to use our youki to suppress her rampaging Shikigami aura in the forest. There's something there I want to see...and we need to be close to her to do that.**_

_** And with that, I want to watch over her, protect her. It was not only an order from our sire, that you **_**failed**_** at quite beautifully might I add, but it's something I want as well. I want her to live so she can reach her peak potential, and because of what I sensed in her...Do that for me, and I'll go back to being a good half of your conscious. I don't care about our pride anymore, not with her. Grovel for all I care, just get me close to her again...'**_

Before he could even respond, his beast withdrew into the recesses of his mind where he couldn't reach him. Bristling, Sesshoumaru cracked his knuckled repeatedly to try to take the edge off...and to try to not kill something. His beast was really on his last nerve, especially with that little rant.

And yet, his words had cut deep. Perhaps that was why he was so angry...because within those words rang truth. And now that he heard his true intentions, he couldn't help but **share** some of those views...she was fascinating, and her powers intrigued him. And he couldn't deny he felt an odd urge to protect her outside of his father's orders...but maybe that was why he was so angry. He knew, deep down, that no amount of denial would change the fact that he shared almost every viewpoint his beast had...

_'Dammit all.'_

~*~*~O~*~*~

And there you have it! Sorry about the wait, meant to have this up a week ago but just couldn't focus on it. That, and I was trying to figure out where I wanted this chapter to go, but decided that this direction would be nice. Things are definitely going to be heating up in the following chapters, but right now I have to worry about mending these two lovebirds' bond! And we all know we want that. ;) Next chapter will probably have them seeing each other again, but you'll have to wait and see how that goes!

Until then, be sure to leave me some wonderful reviews to enjoy like always, my lovely followers! I really do love reading them. ;w; Ja ne!


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